Can't Fight Fate
by LeytonLoVe123
Summary: Companion piece to Can't Stop Destiny and Can't Lose Hope, but you don't really need to read those first. Future fic in my own little AU world, but things will be explained. Mainly about Lucas and Peyton's daughter, Chilarie, but involves everyone.
1. Couples and Children

Couples and Children

Lucas and Peyton (Leyton) Scott

Children:

Jason Bradley and Aiden Michael Scott, Age 22 - out of school

Chilarie Hope Scott, Age 16 - Sophomore

Baley Briana Scott, Age 14 - Grade 8

Keeton James and Keagan Hilarie Scott Age 10 - Grade 5

Keith Nathanial Scott, Age 8 - Grade 3

Jalisa Nicole Scott, Age 5 - Kindergarten

Nathan and Haley (Naley) Scott

Children:

James Lucas Scott, Age 16 - Sophomore

Bethany Elizabeth and Jessica Penelope Scott, Age 15 - Freshmen

Anna Brooklyn Scott, Age 9 - Grade 5

Jackson Sawyer Scott, Age 4 - Pre-School

Brooke Davis and Chase Adams

Child:

Isabella Joy Adams, Age 15 - Freshman

Brooke Davis and Rachel Gatina

Adoptive Children:

Christopher James Davis-Gatina, Age 17 - Senior (Adopted at age 16)

Danielle Jordan Davis-Gatina, Age 17 - Junior (Adopted at age 5)

Sophia Evelyn Davis-Gatina, Age 9 - Grade 4 (Asopted at age 1)

Johnathan Kaleb Davis-Gatina, Age 5 - Kindergarten (Adopted at 9 months)

Jake and Keirah Jagielski

Children:

Nicci Simone Jagielski, Age 15 - Freshman

Jennifer Sloane Jagielski, Age 11 - Grade 6

Natalia Marie Jagielski, Age 7 - Grade 2

Gabriel Spenver Jagielski, Age 5 - Kindergarten

Bryan Sawyer Jagielski, Age 3 - not yet in school

Chase and Mia Adams

Children:

Katherine Miranda Adams, Age 9 - Grade 4

Robert Owen Adams, Age 6 - Grade 1

Mia Adams and Jerimiah Casey

Child:

Brett Michael Casey, Age 17 - Senior

Karen and Andy Hargrove

Child:

Lillian Roe Hargrove, Age 14 - Grade 8

A/N: It took me longer than I really expected to come up with the names for the children, and they have been changed, multiple times, but I think I like these names. If I want to change it down the line-which might happen, because, as an author, I change my mind a lot-I will, but I think these will be the names I stick with, unless someone could come up with a suggestion I like bettr. You're welcome to give it a go.

A/N2: I don't know if anyone will notice, but I switched the ages of Chase's kids with Mia. I had Robert older than Katherine, but I decided to switch it and make Katherine older than Robert. That change won't really be explored until chapter 11, though.


	2. Ch1: At First Sight

Chilarie was sitting at a table at the Rivercourt, her earbuds in her ears and a book in front of her, idly twirling a blonde curl around her finger as she subconsciously blew a bubble with her bubble gum. She had assumed she was alone, so she jumped when she felt someone tug her earbud out of her ear. She looked around, trying to control her breathing, with a hand placed on her punding heart. She slapped her cousin in the back of the head when she saw his grin. "Damnit, Jamie, try not to give me a heart attack, won't you?" she admonished, putting her book mark in her book.

The blonde boy just grinned back at her. They were close, because they were so close in age, and because there parents were so close, but over the years it had grown into more than that. Not in a sick, incest way, but now they were best friends, hanging out together most of the time by choice, instead of obligation. "Ooh, I'm gonna tell on you. You know your mom would be angry to hear you cussing, Hope," he teased, calling her by her middle name, like she preferred.

She just rolled her eyes, picking up her book again, deciding to ignore the annoyance. She reached up to put her earbud back in, but he took it out of her hand, putting it into his ear, and leaving her with the other one. He winced at the music. Most of the time they had similiar tastes in music, but she had a wide range of music on her Ipod, mainly stuff from her mom, and some of it he just didn't like. So he picked it up off of the table, looking through the songs as she just continued to read.

After a few minutes, he chose a song and set it back down on the table. "I thought you were tutoring after school today," he questioned, because she had told him she would be. That was why he had planned to meet up with one of the guys from the backetball team, who, he realized, should probably be there soon. He had made Varsity this year, despite only being a Sophomore, and not just because his uncle was the head coach, like most people thought. He'd shown them, though; the team was on their way to winning the championship.

Without moving her eyes off of her book, she answered him. "I was supposed to be, but the person had to cancel, so I had some free time. I thought I'd spend it here, relaxing," she paused as she felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket and read the text, typing out a quick reply and sending it before replacing her phone in her pocket. "It seems that Nicci is meeting me here, though, so we'll probably chill here for a while," she added.

Nicci was her female best friend, the one she did all the girly things with, even though neither of them were particularily girly. Nicci was actually gorgeous, with staight jet black hair, and blue eyes, but she had no self-confidence, because she had glasses and braces. She had a nice figure, too, but she never showed it, choosing instead to wear more comfortable clothes. She was a freshman, and on the girls JV basketball team, and was more of a tom-boy/jock than anything.

Chilarie was more of a bookworm. She preferred to do homework instead of anything else, though she was good at basketball. It was something she had inherited from her dad, even though it wasn't really her passion. She enjoyed it, but she enjoyed tutoring, and reading, and even drawing more. She wasn't shy, like Nicci was, but she didn't like being in the lime light, so she and Nicci had just sort of stayed on the sidelines so far.

James was pounding a beat out on the table when two cars pulled up, practically simultaniously. Nicci got out of her mom's SUV, ignoring the wave Keirah gave her before she drove away, while a guy stepped out of a black Jeep with tinted windows, which looked brand new. Chilarie had her back to the Jeep, but Nicci's mom had pulled up where she could see, so she smiled, waving at her best friend, completely not noticing the guy behind her.

She pulled her ear bud out of her ear, noticing Nicci's eyes widening as they locked on something behind her. It was then that Chilarie heard the basketball bouncing on the blacktop, and she turned, setting her book down to see who was behind her. The guy was looking at her, too, and when she turned, her eyes met a beautiful pair of light blue-almost gray eyes. The guy had dark, chocolate brown hair and he was tall, taller than even James, who was tall for his age, at 6' and still growing.

The guy looked her up and down, and if she wasn't doing the same thing to him, she would have been offended. "Who is this, Scott, your little sister?" he asked, not even taking notice of Nicci, who had walked over to the bench and had sat down. Nicci was pretty used to not being noticed, but Chilarie did not like being mistaken for Jamie's little sister, especially since she was older than him, but it did happen, more often than she liked.

Still small for her age, Chilarie was barely 5' and, quite petite, but that did not stop her from standing to her feet, glaring at the guy on the court, whose name she didn't even know yet. Something about him brought out the Sawyer temper in her. "For your information, I am his cousin, and I'm actually a few months older, and, despite my size, I bet I'm better at basketball, too," she said, her hands on her hips and fire in her blue-green eyes.

He took a step back, but there was amusement in his eyes. That only served to anger her more. James stepped in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Chill out, Rambo, he didn't mean it. I know you're better at basketball than me, and I humbly accept it," James was lucky to have not received the cocky attitude his father had had in high school. He was good, and he knew it, but he preferred to show it with his skills, not with attitude. He liked a silent victory.

The guy behind James, however, was more arrogant and cocky, and he didn't have the advantage of having ever seen Chilarie play before. He laughed, a sound which, even in her anger, made Chilarie's heart beat faster, though she'd never admit it, or if she did, she'd chalk it up to the adrinaline rushing through her veins. "I don't believe that, and I can't believe you'd think that. Look at her, is she even tall enough to play?" he joked.

Bad move on his part, definately. With a female version of her father's smirk, she moved around Jamie, grabbing the ball from the arrogant jackass whose name she didn't know yet. She stood right in front of him, resisting the urge to stand on her tiptoes as she looked up toward his face. "You know what, why don't we play a one-on-one game, and we'll see who's better," she propositioned. He opened his mouth to refuse, but she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Unless you're scared," she added.

His jaw set and he shook his head, removing his tee-shirt and tossing it to the bleachers, leaving him in only his basketball shorts as he moved to the center of the court. Chilarie had to remind herself not to stare at his very nicely sculpted chest as she turned and pulled her sweatshirt off, tossing it onto the bleachers, leaving her in a black tank top. She was thankful that she had stopped by her house right after school, and traded her jeans for comfortable shorts. She tossed him the ball and pulled her unruly curls back into a pony tail, using the elastic she always kept around her wrist.

James shook his head as he walked off the court, taking a seat on the bench next to Nicci. Both of these people were the most stubborn people he knew, and he couldn't imagine that this could end up good. The guy, whose name happened to be Brett, was a Senior, and one of the most arrogant guys on the Varsity team, but he did have the skills to back it up. Actually, he was pretty much James's dad, from his high school days. As for Chilarie, she had her mom's temper, and she was stubborn, like both of her parents, and she hated being judged by her size.

Brett bounced the ball back to her as she stepped to the center of the court as well. "Ladies first," he said, which was a bad move, because she had her dad's jump shot. She smirked at him before stepping to the side, quickly sending the ball in a perfect arc. It made a swooshing sound as it went through the hoop. He walked over to get the ball on the rebound, then walked back, shaking his head slightly as he tossed her the ball again. "Beginners luck, but you can have the point. Let's go to eleven, by ones," he said, bending at the knees, waiting for her to start again.

Chilarie scored another goal with her jump shot, but the third time he gave her the ball, she moved around him, quickly taking it to the hoop and shooting. She made her third point, and he was still at zero. The next time she tried to move around him, he stole the ball from her, driving it to the hoop and dunking it. He sent her a smug grin when she made a sarcastic comment.

An hour later, they were still playing, because they kept extending the end score as one of them got close to it. James and Nicci were both getting tired of watching the game. They were tied at twenty-seven due to the jump shot Chilarie had just made, but when she landed, her ankle twisted underneath her and she skinned her knee when she fell to the ground, landing harshly on her palms as well.

James and Nicci ran onto the court, but Brett was kneeling by her side before they could even stand up. He helped Chilarie as she moved, so she was sitting on her butt, and he was taking off her sneaker and sock, to assess the damage. Nicci and James both knelt by her side as well, Nicci examining her hands, and James looking at her knee, which was bleeding. "I'm sorry, Little Scott, I shouldn't have let you play against me. I'll agree, you're damn good, but I think we better get you home so you can ice this," he said, gingerly touching her ankle, and noticing when she winced.

That comment, of course, didn't encourage her to stop. She shook her head adamantly, brushing off her hands and pulling her ankle out of his grasp. She grabbed her sock and shoe and put it back on. "Oh, no, I'm not letting you off that easily. We're going to finish this, and you better not take it easy on me because I'm injured, because I won't take that excuse when I beat you," she said, holding her hands out to Nicci and James, for them to help her up.

All three of them had apprehensive looks on their faces, but Brett was the first to agree. "You really think you're going to win, do you?" he asked as he stood. James and Nicci stood as well, sharing a look, both knowing that Peyton and Lucas wouldn't like it when their daughter came home injured, especially if James and Nicci let her play on it. Still, they knew Chilarie wouldn't take no for an answer at this point, so they reluctantly helped her to her feet.

Of course, it did hurt to put pressure on her ankle, and her knee was stinging like hell, but she kept all pain off of her face. She knew her friends wouldn't let her play if they knew for a fact she was in pain. She covered her grimace of pain by turning it into a smirk. "Of course I'm going to win. In fact, I'm sure you're not going to score another point. We're going to thirty, make it, take it," she said, walking to the ball and picking it up, taking her place center court.

Nicci and James reluctantly went back to the bench, while Brett followed her to center court. She made one, then two jump shots, making the score twenty-nine to twenty-seven, in her favor. When she got the ball a third time, she faked left, then moved right, using her size and speed to manuver past him, driving it to the hoop, scoring the winning basket.

The ball bounced to the ground and she picked it up, turning to him with a smirk. He looked at her appraisingly, somewhat surprised that she had actually beat him. He couldn't say that he hadn't given it his all, either, because he had definately not been going easy on her. "I have to hand it to you, Little Scott, you're really something," he said, noticing for the first time how long her legs were, for her height. They were nicely toned, too.

She already hated the nickname he'd given her, and she couldn't help but toss the ball to him a little bit too hard, so that it hit him in the stomach. "Oops, sorry," she said sarcastically, walking over to the bleachers to grab her sweatshirt, as she pulled her hair out of the pony tail, shaking it out so it cascaded down her back once more. Once she grabbed her sweatshirt, she tied it to her waist, looking down to notice the dried blood on her leg from her knee.

Finally allowing herself to limp, she picked up her stuff, gesturing to Nicci and James that she'd give them a ride home. She was the only one who had a car because she was old enough to get her license, and she made enough money, tutoring and working the Cafe, to buy herself her own car. She had bought her mom's old Comet. As they were getting in the car, he called out to her. "I'll be seeing you." She didn't reply, but she had to hide the smile that wanted to appear on her face.

As she drove off the court, her hair blowing behind her because she had the top of her car down, she couldn't keep her mind off of the arrogant jackass, whose name she didn't even know. She knew she could ask James, but she didn't want to, because she didn't want to seem interested. The guy wasn't someone she would normally want to talk to, but she found herself wanting to know more about him. She thought maybe his tough facade was just that, a facade.

Brett, left behind on the court with only his basketball, was in a very similar predicament. He'd never met anyone as stubborn or firery as her, yet he wanted to get to know her. She was different from other girls, mainly because she didn't fall for his charm, and she wasn't afraid to call him on his BS. She had a lot of attitude, and it was wrapped up in quite a small package, but he kind of liked that. She was full of surprises, and he wanted to learn more.

A/N: So, here is the companion piece to Can't Stop Destiny and Can't Lose Hope. To those of you who have read both of those fics, and have been waiting for this one, I hope it doesn't disappoint. To those of you who haven't read those fics... Read them. Just kidding. I mean, I'd like you to read them, and review them, if you feel so inclined, but I really don't think it's necessary. Most questions will probably be answered as this goes on, but if you'd like to leave a question in a review, go for it. Oh, and I think I'm going to change things up a bit, and update every Sunday from now on. I can't guarantee that I'll have an update for every fic every week, but it's highly likely. Anyway, hope you like this, and hope you review. Let me know if it's worth continuing.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. I only claim this world I created, which I happen to like a lot.


	3. Ch2: Potential Possibilities

The next day at school, Chilarie was on crutches, and she had a wrap around her ankle. Her mom had flipped out when she had arrived home, and taken her to the doctor immediately. Chilarie's ankle wasn't broken, but it was sprained. She would have to be on the crutches for a week, which she did not like one bit. Her mother wouldn't budge, though. Peyton had always been especially careful about Chilarie's health, because she had been a premie, and she had always been small for her age.

So, she was staggering to class, struggling with her bag and the crutches, when someone crashed into her, knocking her stuff out of her hands and nearly knocking her to the floor. She was caught by a pair of strong arms before she could hit the floor. She had closed her eyes as she fell, but when she didn't feel herself hit the ground, she opened them, cautiously, and met a pair of grey eyes. Brett carefully set her upright, making sure she was on her crutches before picking up her stuff.

As he straightened, holding her things, he was trying not to think about how she had felt in his arms. He cleared his throat, ignoring the students brushing past them as everyone headed to their classes. "So, Little Scott, how about I walk you to class, since you can't seem to get anywhere without falling?" he teased, finally breaking his gaze away from her blue-green eyes. He slung her bag over his shoulder, carrying her books, despite the fact that she tried to protest.

Just when she started to follow along behind him, the bell rang, signalling they were late for class. The blonde groaned, already knowing that she would get detention, despite the fact that she was on crutches. "This is my third tardy. Mr Springer is going to give me a detention. He won't care that I'm injured. Damnit, I guess I'm going to miss another day of tutoring. This time for detention," she sighed, not even seeing the point in going to her next class. "I wish I could just ditch," she added, not really meaning it. She had never ditched a class before in her life.

Suddenly, Brett stopped walking. He was looking at the exit doors next to them, the wheels in his mind turning. "Why don't you?" he asked her. Chilarie had stopped walking as well, and cocked an eyebrow at him. She was about to tell him he was crazy, and just to give her her stuff so she could get to class, but he continued before she could open her mouth. "Let's just leave. My car is right out there. You can tell them your ankle was really bothering you, if you want. Is anyone at your house?" he asked her, able to tell from her reaction that she'd never done this before, but suddenly really wanting her to ditch with him.

Something about him, even though she didn't even know his name, just made some part of her say, 'just do it, take a chance, be spontaneous.' Normally, she wouldn't listen to a voice like that, but she wanted to listen to it. Still, she did have some reservations. "I don't even know your name," she protested, because it was the first thing she could think of. She really didn't know his name and he didn't know hers, but she wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about him.

One of his eyebrows raised at her. "My name is Brett. Will you ditch class with me?" he asked, his grey eyes locking on her blue-greens. Normally he didn't take anyone when he ditched, but he wanted to take her. Not to get into her pants, or anything like that, but he kinds of liked the idea that the first time she ditched class would be with him, and he decided that he could share the experience with her. He wanted to get to know her, and he wanted to know if she would take the risk of getting in trouble to spend time with him.

After another moment of internal debate, Chilarie decided to follow her heart, instead of her head. She nodded, following him out of the school. His Jeep was parked not far from the exit, and he put their stuff in the back, along with her crutches, before helping her into the car. He even closed the door for her after he had helped her in. He wasn't used to being a gentlemen, but he wanted to be for her, because he knew she deserved it. He glanced around again, making sure there was no one around as he got in the car, buckling his seatbelt and taking off, quickly getting off campus.

They both let out a small sigh of relief when they were out of sight of the school. With big eyes, Chilarie looked over at the guy she never thought she'd be with. She'd never asked for this, but it had fallen into her lap, and while she didn't know if his intentions were true or not, something was just telling her to go with it. "You can call me Hope," she said, seemingly randomly. He looked over at her, questioningly. "It's not my name, but that's what everyone calls me, because it's my middle name," she clarified.

Nodding to himself, he looked back to the road. Hope. The name seemed to fit her. Since his mom had died, he hadn't cared about anything, which is probably why he had turned into a jackass. Since he'd met her, even though it was only the day before, he wanted to be that guy that his mom had seen in him, and he wanted to be that guy with the girl next to him. She had given him hope, hope that he wasn't a failure, and all wasn't lost. "Well, are you ever going to tell me your first name?" he asked her, in that cocky manner he had. Old habits didn't die over night.

Biting her lip, she tried to decide. The only people who knew her real name were the important people in her life, and no one else. Did she want him to be one of those people? Maybe eventually, he could be. Until then, she was going to keep her mouth shut about it, because it wasn't something she wanted everyone to know, because it was weird. She smiled coyly as she looked over at him. "Maybe one day, Hot Shot, we'll just have to see," she replied. That didn't feel like the right response exactly, so she continued. "My mom was into unique names at the time of my birth, and so my name is kind of classified. Only special people know it. I haven't decided if you're one of those people," she explained.

Right then, he vowed that he would one day learn her first name. He kind of liked the idea of being special enough to her to learn her name. It was then that he really took in their surroundings, and realized where they were headed. He was driving toward his place. He never took anyone there, unless it was to hook up. His house was his sancuary, and he wasn't quite sure he was ready to share that with her yet, because he knew that he'd have to explain all sorts of things to her, and his story wasn't one he told to many people. When he was hooking up, he didn't have to worry about questions. With this girl, he knew she would ask, and he would want to asnwer her.

It wasn't like there were many other places he could take her, either. Not while they were laying low, because they had ditched school. He pulled into his driveway with a little trepidition, but then decided that he didn't have to take her inside. They could avoid the house altogether if he led her around to the beach, which is what he now intended to do. He quickly walked around to her side of the Jeep and, instead of grabbing her crutches, just plucking her up into his arms as if it was no trouble at all, which, really, it wasn't. She weighed practically nothing, and he was pretty strong, from training all basketball season.

After struggling for a few moments, Chilarie just gave up because, honestly, who doesn't love a guy who can pick you up and carry you if the situation calls for it. Not that she loved him, or anything, or expected anything to come out of this. She knew she was getting some pretty scary feelings, but she was relatively sure that he was going to get tired of this eventually, and then he'd move on to something else. She only hoped that her heart didn't break in the process. Despite her breakup last year, she was pretty sure that her heart hadn't been broken, because she'd never let him all the way in. She didn't want to experience heartbreak. She was a smart girl, and was pretty sure she could avoid it if she tried hard enough.

Due to the events that had happened last year, Brett didn't want to get his heart broken either. He knew how much heart break his mother had had in her life, and he didn't see the problem with just living life. Well, he hadn't seen the problem until the girl who was now settled quite nicely in his arms. It was as if she was made to fit there, as cliche as that sounds. He was honestly thinking that. She felt perfect, cradled in his arms, and he didn't want to let her go. He meant that figuratively, of course. He knew he had to put her down on the beach, which he did, when he found a spot that he had deemed good enough.

Sitting down next to her, Brett glanced sideways at the girl who had occupied his every thought since he first saw her yesterday. He hadn't even asked her out on a date. He wasn't even sure she would say yes if he did ask. She may have only ditched school with him because he was there, and she really didn't want to face her next class. For some reason, he really didn't believe that, though. He had a feeling that she was as new to this as he was. Not to ditching. He had ditched before, of course, though he was pretty sure she hadn't. What was new to him was these feelings. He didn't know feelings this strong could come on this fast, and he wondered if she was feeling it too, though, something was telling him that she did.

Neither of them were ready to admit to feeling anything yet, though, so they stayed silent for a moment, Chilarie looking out at the waves crashing on the shore and Brett watching her. After a few minutes, they began talking. Actually, Chilarie did most of the talking, but Brett did offer up some information about himself. There were periods of silence in between talking, but neither minded. They were having a good time, just sitting at the beach, in each others company, whether they were talking or not. It was definately better than school.

A couple of minutes into the conversation they had laid down, but, abrubtly, in the middle of one of the silences, Brett sat up again. There was a question that was burning in his mind, and he knew how he'd like to answer it, but he didn't know how she'd like it to be answered, and he couldn't handle avoiding it any longer. "Is this a date?" he asked, trying to search her blue-green eyes for the answer. She sat up slowly, her eyes wide at his abrubtness, and he realized how desperate he had sounded. "Would you like it to be?" he added smoothly, before she could answer the first question.

Biting on her lip, Chilarie wasn'r really sure how to answer. On the one hand, she really didn't want this to be her first date, partially because she didn't feel dressed for a first date, and also because she didn't want to have a first date while her ankle was still wrapped. She wanted to go out with him, but she didn't want to seem to eager, either. She was also still worried that he would give up on her after a week. Smiling wryly at him, she realized the perfect solution. "Well, I really don't want to go out on a date while I'm on crutches. So, if that actually was your way of asking me out, ask me again when I get off the crutches, and just maybe I'll say yes," she said coyly.

Nodding, he laid back onto the sand again. "Well, if we're not technically dating, does that mean I can't do this?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing her hand, lacing their fingers together. Chilarie wanted to keep up the mysterious persona and say no, but she loved the feel of her hand in his, and the jolt of electricity that she felt where their skin touched, so she just found herself nodding. "Can I do this?" he propped himself up on one elbow, leaned over toward her, bringing his lips closer to hers. He moved slowly, giving her time to stop him if she wanted, but he really wanted to kiss her.

Frozen, Chilarie didn't know whether to allow him to kiss her or not. On the one hand, she wanted to keep up with the mystery and she didn't want to kiss before they had even had a first date. On the other hand, she really really wanted to kiss him, more than she'd ever wanted to kiss anyone in her life. Just before his lips could touch hers, she brought her hand up, pushing him back. "Hand holding is okay before the first date. Kissing is not," she forced herself to say. The only reason she was able to stop him was because she knew the kiss would be so much better if they had to wait for it.

Falling back onto the sand, he handled the rejection better than she thought he would. She had been sure the second he realized that she wouldn't even let him kiss her, he would get up and leave. He was still there though, and that eased her fears, just a tiny bit. Glancing sideways at him, she wished she knew what he was thinking. Did he just see her as another conquest? 'Oh, let's see if I can bed the girl that beat me at basketball, so I can prove I'm better than her someway?' Or did he actually see her? The girl who was outspoken, yet quiet, the girl who knew when to fight battles and when to let others win, the girl who was stubborn, and self-conscious.

There was a long stretch of silence, and Brett didn't really know what to say. He'd never been in this situation before. He didn't know what to do after someone turned him down, because he had never been turned down before. He wasn't upset because she hadn't kissed him. In fact, he kind of respected her for it. Obviously, she had morals and standards, and she wasn't going to change them for him. He liked that in her, and that was also a first for him. "I don't mind waiting, you know," he said, because he felt he had to say it. She turned her head to look at him curiously, and he met her gaze. "I'll wait for you, Hope. I'm not going anywhere," he said firmly, because he wanted her to believe it, even though his past gave her reason not to.

That statement really made her want to lean over and kiss him, but she didn't want to send mixed signals. She'd already said no. She couldn't go back on her word now. It gave her a fluttery feeling in her stomach, because he had been able to tell that she was feeling insecure about that, and he had reassured her about it. Or maybe he hadn't even noticed, and he just wanted to tell her. That was even better. She loved those words, and she had heard the story of her parents, and her dad said he'd wait, but he flipped out when her mom actually asked him to, but she wasn't worried about their mistakes. Something told her that he was being honest, despite evidence to the contrary.

They fell back into easy conversation for a while, until Chilarie noticed the time. "I should get back home, I need to be there before anyone else gets there," she sat up, looking over at him. He nodded, and jumped to his feet, picking her up again and heading for his Jeep. He was carrying her bridal style, and her face was right next to his neck. She could smell a combination of his aftershave and his soap. It smelled great to her, even though she'd never liked the smell of aftershave before. She could also smell a hint of cologne, and that made her smile. Most guys used too much. She was glad he didn't.

When she rested her head on his shoulder, Brett could smell her shampoo, which smelled like cucumber melon. She also smelled like fabric softener, and the outdoors. She didn't smell like an over-abundance of perfume, like most of the other girls at their school, but she definately didn't smell bad either. He was disappointed when he reached the car, because then he had to put her down, and he didn't really want to. Still, because he didn't want to seem like a freak, he opened the door to his Jeep and helped her inside, resisting the urge to smell her hair.

Throughout the whole drive to her house, Chilarie wished she didn't have to go home. She didn't know the next time they would hang out, and the weekend hung in front of her, dark and ominious. She didn't know if he would revert back to his party ways while they were apart. A weekend was a long time, and there were probably a lot of parties, especially since it was getting closer to the end of the year. Maybe if they saw each other on Monday, he wouldn't even say hi. Looking down at their intertwined fingers, she couldn't help but feel some self-doubt.

All the what-ifs flitted around her head, and she couldn't help but consider them. What if his friends called him up tonight, and he went out partying and forgot about her? What if he hooked up with someone? She knew that he had practice today, and, as coach and assistant coach, her father and brother would be there. What if he was talking to his friends about her, and one of them overheard, and forbade her from seeing him? She was sure her dad would do something like that. She had to throw that option out, though, because she knew it was highly unlikely that he would talk about her with his friends.

When he parked in front of her house, Brett didn't let go of her hand, so she pulled her other hand off of the door handle, slowly turning to look at him. There was silence for a long moment, as blue-green eyes met grey. Then, withouth breaking eye contact, Brett cleared his throat. "I was thinking maybe we can hang out later, after practice, if you think your mom will let you out of the house," he said, seemingly hesitant, as if worried she would reject him.

Biting at her lip, she admitted, "I can't," and watched as his face fell. Before he could say anything, though, she continued. "It's not that I don't want to hang out with you, I do, really. It's just, I think it might be best if we don't let it get around my family that we're hanging out. At least, not until we actually start going out, you know. In case one of us moves on, you know, or something, before we go out on a date. I just don't want to get my parents, or my siblings, worked up over nothing," she said, and his gaze turned curious, but he stayed silent. "Also, there is no way my mom will let me go out tonight, especially since I left school early today," she added.

With a nod, he reached over, and brushed a curl out of her face. "Well, I guess you better go. I really want to kiss you right now, and I might not be able to control myself much longer," he paused, but she didn't move. "It'd be a bad thing if I kissed you, right?" he said, his eyes on her lips, and the way she was biting her bottom lip. He had never wanted to kiss anyone more in that moment. She nodded slowly in answer to his question, but it was obvious she was thinking about allowing him to kiss her. "I mean, friends don't kiss, and if we're just friends right now, I should say goodbye, and let you get inside," he forced himself to say.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled away from his hypnotizing gaze, and looked toward her house. "Well, thanks, for today. I've never ditched before, and it was kind of fun, actually. Not that I would ever do it again," she was quick to add. "See you later, Hot Shot," she couldn't help but say in a flirtatious tone as she finally let go of his hand. She got out of the Jeep and grabbed her stuff, sending a smile at him over her shoulder as she hobbled to her front door.

He couldn't really say he hated the nickname, especially considering his own nickname for her. "I'll see you later, Little Scott," he shouted after her, waiting for her to get inside before he drove away, laughing as he did. She was the only one who called him on his shit. All of the other girls at school worshipped the ground he walked on, and he had to admit, the way she talked to him was a bit refreshing. Maybe the best part was that he didn't know when she was teasing and when she wasn't. Either way, he could tell that he wasn't moving on anytime soon. He was going to get that date, and that kiss, even if he had to wait three weeks.

As she made her way into the house, she headed for the kitchen. She grabbed some snacks from the pantry and took off the seal, laying them on the coffee table to make it look like she'd eaten some. She also grabbed a watter bottle and downed about half of it, setting it on the coffee table too. Then she went upstairs, to her bedroom, and grabbed some comfy pajamas. She took a quick shower to get the smell of the beach off of her, ran a brush haphazardly through her messy curls, using a blow dryer to dry them before she went back downstairs.

After grabbing her pillow and favorite throw blanket from her bedroom, she went to the downstairs family room, putting a movie in the DVD player, but starting it more than half-way into it. She wanted it to look like she'd been home a while. As she settled into the couch to watch the rest of the movie, with her crutches on the floor next to her, and her blanket covering her, she actually slipped into slumber. The pain killer she had taken probably helped too. She dreamt of Brett, which was probably no surprise.

Peyton was the first one home, with Keeton, Keagan, Keith and Jalisa. As soon as she noticed her eldest daughter asleep on the couch, she sent the kids out into the back yard so they wouldn't wake her, then she went into the kitchen to begin cooking dinner. Of course, Lucas didn't consult Peyton about this when he got home, and she was upstairs, so she didn't see him let the dog in, or she would of stopped it, because Rocket III, their male dalmation, bounded right into the living room and began licking Chilarie's face, effectively waking her up.

Then her five-year-old sister was sitting on her stomach and there was no hope of going back to sleep. "What are you doing, bug?" she asked, tickling Jalisa's stomach, causing the little girl to let out peals of laughter. Jalisa had gotten the dark curls of her grandmother, but her green eyes were all Peyton. Keith was the only other non-blonde, and his hair was, inexplicably, a light brown, but during the summer, it was almost dirty blonde. Baley had also come into the living room, followed by their father, who was looking like he wanted to ask Chilarie the same question she'd just asked Jalisa.

Without waiting for her father to ask the question, Chilarie sat up, setting Jalisa on the floor and meeting Lucas's stare. She knew that if she avoiding eye contact, or the subject, he would only know she was lying. "I was wrong," she started that way, because it was a rareity, not because she was always right, but because she never really made a big deal out of things. "I couldn't handle a whole day at school. A friend offered to drive me home after third period, and I accepted. I came home, changed into pajamas and watched a movie. I guess I fell asleep," she explained.

There was a moments pause, but then Peyton, who had approached unnoticed during Chilarie's explanation, spoke up. "I figured it was something like that. You should have called me and I would have came from the office. I didn't really have anything important today," she said, fussing over her daughter. She turned to her husband, approaching him. "You should have seen her, Luke, she looked so peaceful sleeping, but you could tell she was tired out," she continued. As she approached, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, placing a kiss on her lips. "Well, hello to you to," she giggled against his lips.

All the kids looked away from their parents public display of affection. It was pretty common around the house, and it was even more common for Lucas and Peyton's kids to make fun of them for their obvious horniness for each other, but at that moment, Chilarie found herself thinking about it more than normal. Not about her parents actually doing anything, but the fact that they had been together so long, and still were obviously so much in love with each other. It kind of made her wish she could find that. She began to picture herself, years down the line, with a husband she was still obviously in love with, as their kids poked fun at them while secretly admiring them.

It shouldn't have surprised her, given how much she'd been thinking about him, that the person she pictured herself with was Brett, but it really did. She'd always pictured her future life, her husband, career, house and the like, with a faceless guy, and the kids she'd pictured had always looked just like her, because she didn't have any other features to add in. Now, though, she could actually picture kids who were a combination of her and somebody else, and that thought sent shivers down her spine, and caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

When Lucas finally let go of his wife, she headed back towards the kitchen. "Dinner is almost ready. I want everyone washed up," she called over her shoulder. It was Friday night, and so they had their family night to look forward to. Baley lingered in the family room while everyone else departed. Chilarie was stretching and reaching for her crutches when she noticed her sister. Baley and Chilarie were completely different in practically every way, so they didn't have many heart-to-hearts, but Chilarie could sense one coming.

Sitting on the couch next to her older sister, after Chilarie moved her feet, Baley looked over her usually slightly-broody sister. "So, who was it?" she asked, and Chilarie pretended to have no idea what she was talking about, answering with a shrug. Rolling her eyes, Baley wouldn't accept that. "Come on, Hope, I know you. You never leave school, if you are good enough to go, and you were adamant this morning. So, who is the guy that convinced you to ditch?" Chilarie kept her mouth shut, and Baley sighed in frustration. "Will you at least tell me what's put that smile on your face?" she asked.

Considering this, Chilarie decided she could actually answer. She still didn't want to tell anyone in her family about Brett, though, so she thought about her answer for a long moment. It wasn't him, per se, that had her smiling. If she thought about it, it was really about what could happen with him. "Potential, BB," she answered, with a nod, using the nickname that Baley Briana had been given by Chilarie, because Baley had been just too much for the two year old to say, so it had been shortened, much like Chilarie's own name. "Potential, and possibilities." And with that, Chilarie got up and hobbled on her crutches into the kitchen, that smile still on her face.

A/N: Okay, I didn't really get that much of a response for the first chapter. So tell me, do you think I should continue, or not? Let me know what you think about this chapter, or if anyone is reading at all.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


	4. Ch3: The First Date

Three weeks later, true to their word, Brett and Chilarie were going on their first date. She had been given the all clear by the doctor about her ankle, and that had been enough for Peyton to allow her off of the crutches. Brett had spent every lunch period with her, and James and Nicci, and they'd hung out after tutoring and practice most days, before he drove her home, but Chilarie was adamant that they were just friends, though James and Nicci were the only ones who actually knew she was hanging out with Brett Casey, Tree Hill High's resident jackass.

Even they couldn't deny that he was changing, though. Everyone at school saw it, and he had not been to one party since he'd met the petite blonde that had quickly worked her way into his every thought. Even Lucas noticed a change in him during practice. He was acting more like a team member, and the team as a whole was doing better because of it. They won the championship game, not just barely, like almost every other game they'd won that year, but by a landslide.

That meant that Brett no longer had practice, so the past week he'd been hanging out in the library whils she tutored after school. There was only a few weeks left of school left, but Brett knew one thing that had come from his friendship with Chilarie, already. His grades were sure to improve. A lot of the time they spent together after school was at the Rivercourt, where she would watch him play, and scribble in her notebook, not telling him what she was writing, or drawing, and definately not letting him see it. Her notebook was one thing she let no one see.

On the day of the date, Chilarie only confided in one person that it was actually a date. That person was Nicci, becauase she knew her best friend would kill her if she told her after the fact that it was a date. She didn't tell anyone in her family that she was going on a date, and she didn't even tell James, because she knew he wouldn't take it well. Heck, Nicci hadn't taken it well either, but Chilarie knew that her friend was only worried for her. They all would be, but they all didn't know Brett like she did.

It took her a couple hours to get ready, although, she had her music up, so no one would come in her room. If anyone asked, she would never tell them that she took so long, because she was not normally so girly. For their first date, she wanted to take some time working on her appearance. She wanted to dress casual, but not too much. She also didn't want to appear like she was trying to hard to impress him. In the three weeks that they'd been friends, he hadn't seen her in a skirt, because she never wore them. He'd seen her in the usual outfit she wore to school-jeans, Converse, a tee-shirt, or a sweatshirt if it was cold.

In the end, she settled on wearing a black and red plaid, pleated mini-skirt, which she had received from her mom for Christmas two years ago, but rarely wore, a pair of black leather, knee-high, round-toed, nearly three inch high-heeled boots-so she could get a little closer to his height-and a strapless black baby doll top. The top she had borrowed from her sister's closet, and she coupled it with a leather jacket her mother had handed down to her, which she didn't like to wear to school because of the sentimental value.

Her hair was tightly curled(A/N: think Peyton, circa, season one, but longer), and pulled halfway up, the bottom half hanging down to the middle of her back. Her make-up was done simply, with only light eyeliner, mascara and some cover-up, but her lips were blood red. Her nails were painted the same color as her lips. She was standing in front of the mirror, checking out her reflection when she heard her phone vibrate. She fumbled through her purse, checking that she had everything she needed as she located her phone.

The text from Brett told her to meet him at the Rivercourt, and she glanced at her reflection again, not used to caring so much about her appearance, before she left the room. She didn't encounter anyone on the way out of the house, and she was glad, because it meant she didn't have to explain her sudden desire to look... desirable. She still hadn't kissed Brett yet, and she knew that her family was supposed to be out of the house tonight for hours. She didn't want to do anything more than kissing, but she wanted him to want to do more with her.

With nothing more than a shout over her shoulder that she was going to hang out with a friend, Chilarie left the house, a spur of the moment decision leading her to take her Comet to meet him at the Rivercourt. She knew they would probably take his Jeep whereever they were going, but she loved riding in the Comet, especially with the top down. Maybe they wouldn't be leaving the Rivercourt. The idea didn't really sound that bad. She loved the Rivercourt, and they had spent a lot of time there. It wouldn't be too bad to have their first date there. She didn't care much what they did, she just wanted to be with him.

When she pulled up to the familiar stretch of blacktop, she noticed Brett was dressed in black slacks and a deep gray button up. He was nervously pacing, and didn't hear her car pull up. "Hey," she said as she approached. She would have tried to sneak up on him, but that would be too difficult with heels that clicked on the pavement. The gray of his shirt brought out his eyes perfectly, and his short black hair was the perfect legnth to run her fingers through. Not that she had done that, she had just imagined it.

The moment their eyes locked, Chilarie felt a jolt of recognition go through her body. In the past three weeks, she had gotten used to looking in those gray eyes, but she didn't think she'd ever get used to the way they made her feel. She didn't want to get used to that. They made her breath catch in her throat, and butterflies appear in her stomach. She didn't think she'd mind if she had to look in those eyes for the rest of her life. Of course, she was getting ahead of herself. She couldn't admit to herself that she had fallen so fast, much less to him.

So instead she smirked as she got closer, making it obvious that her eyes were raking over his outfit. As her eyes met his again she spoke. "You clean up nice, Hot Shot," she admitted, rolling her eyes as if it pained her to admit it. He just sent her a cocky grin that said what he didn't need to. She couldn't help herself. When he took another step forward she took a step back. He raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm getting pushed away by your ginormous ego," she teased.

Wincing, he held a hand over his heart, as if she had wounded him. "Ouch. That hurts, Little Scott. Especially since I was just about to tell you how drop-dead gorgeous you look," he complimented, laughing when she blushed and rolled her eyes. They were finally standing close enough so he could reach out and touch her, and he put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze. "Tell me you're not one of those beautiful girls who can't take a compliment, because I just happen to be one of those guys who likes to compliment his girlfriend," the words slipped from his mouth without him realizing what he was really saying.

Just to shove the compliment aside, Chilarie chose to address the last part of his comment, even though she would have just avoided it at all costs in any other case. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself, Hot Shot. I mean, we haven't even gone on a first date yet. What makes you think I'll agree to be your girlfriend?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, and tilted her head to the side and there was even a teasing look in her eyes. The way she was biting her bottom lip was the only thing that showed how nervous she was about whatever was going to come out of his mouth next.

Gray eyes met blue-greens, and though she wanted to look away, she found herself unable to. "I think you'll change your mind by the end of the date, Little Scott," he paused as her other eyebrow raised in disbelief. "You don't have enough faith in me," he said, in a tone that let her know he was determined to prove her wrong. "Give me your keys," he held his hand out for them. Noticing her reluctance, he continued. "I know you love that car, so you'd like to drive it. Since I planned the date, I get to drive. I wanted to leave my car here so your parents wouldn't get suspiscious when they find my car in your driveway," he explained.

It took her a few seconds to work through it all in her head, but then she nodded, slowly, and tossed him the keys. She told him that it was a good plan as they walked to her Comet. "You act like you're surprised," he teased, and she just rolled her eyes at him, glad that they could banter like this, even though it was only the first date. It helped that they had three weeks of really good friendships under their proverbial belts. "I did have three weeks to come up with it," he admitted as he held open the passenger side door for her.

He drove her out of town, which she hadn't expected at all. When she begged him to let her know where they were going, he just shook his head, told her to just wait, and shot her smug looks occasionally. She would retort that she didn't want to wait, and it was her car so he should tell her where he was taking it. At that point he'd just laugh, tell her she was impatient, and the process would start over again in a few moments. His hand held hers loosly, resting on the gearshift between them.

When he parked in front of a really nice French restaurant outside of town, with a view of the beach, Chilarie couldn't help but feel a little underdressed. She wasn't the type of girl who needed to be taken to nice restaurants. In fact, she felt out of place in one. Still, she followed him into the restaurant, trying to ignore what felt like everyone's eyes on her as they followed the host to their table. She didn't even notice the host checking her out when she walked past him to sit down, but Brett did.

As the guy walked away, Chilarie's eyes were on Brett, as Brett gave the host a dirty look. "Jealous, much?" she teased, to get his attention. He stammered hotly for a moment, but Chilarie just laughed, rolling her eyes at him. She took a roll from the bread basket and tore a piece off, throwing it at him. "I'm here with you, aren't I, Hot Shot? Besides, I thought you were so sure of yourself, you really have nothing to be jealous of," she informed him, with a shrug of her shoulders, as if it was simple.

Incredulous, Brett just shook his head, his anger cooling as the waitress came for their drink order. She stared at Brett the whole time, barely paying any attention to Chilarie, and she didn't say a word to her, but Chilarie noticed that Brett didn't notice the girl. She wondered why, but she didn't ask. As soon as the waitress was gone, he spoke up anyway. "Yeah, you're here with me, and that's exactly why I don't want other guys checking you out. It's disrespectful," he paused. "I've never been jealous before," he admitted softly after a moment.

The conversation passed easily, but Chilarie felt a little uncomfortable in the fancy restaurant. Sure, it was nice that he had money, but that wasn't what she liked about him. She wondered if he realized that. They didn't need to be doing something expensive to have fun. To be honest, she had more fun doing things that didn't cost a lot of money. So, it was great food, and some good conversation, but she couldn't help but wish they were doing something simplier. "What's wrong, Little Scott?" he asked as they walked to her Comet.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to figure out what to say. "Listen, Brett," she used his first name, because she was being serious, and he took note of that. She gestured at the restaurant and beach view. "This is great, and everything, but I'm not this girl. I don't need fancy or elaborate. I'm a pretty simple girl, and it doesn't matter to me what I do. It matters to me who I'm doing it with. This is really nice, but I just don't need to be pampered. I would have been happy at the Rivercout," she just tossed out the idea, but it was true.

For a moment, Brett didn't know what to say, and Chilarie stood there chewing on her lip, hoping that she hadn't offended him. In fact, he was glad she was being honest with him. That was nice, and refreshing. He had taken a lot of girls to this very restaurant, and not one of them had complained about it being too much. He had never been jealous of the host checking one out either. It was an evening of new experiences. He took a step closer. "I'm glad you're honest with me, really, but if I hadn't brought you here, we wouldn't have the pefect place to have our first kiss," he said, their eyes locked.

And kiss her he did. His hands cupped her face, and she tilted her head, allowing their lips to meet. It was soft and tender at first, then she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter. It quickly grew deeper and more passionate as he moved one hand to her waist, and she laced the fingers of one hand through his hair, and they both pulled the other closer. He pulled away eventually, with a smile on his face. "Come on, I know the perfect place we can go," he took he hand and led her to the car.

Yes, it was the best kiss he'd ever had, but he was better at gaining control of his emotions than she was. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her all night, but he wasn't sure she'd go along with that. He felt her stumbling along beside him, and she still had a slightly dazed look in her eyes as he opened the car door for her. He was glad that he had the same effect on her that she had on him. He hated to let go of her hand after she was in the car, but he had to, so he could go around to the other side and get in.

By the time he shut his door, the dazed look was gone from her eyes, and she was looking at him. "You're right, that was the perfect place to have a first kiss," she said, taking her eyes off of him for a moment to look at the beach, that was now getting further out of sight, as Brett pulled out of the parking lot and started driving down the road. He reached over and took her hand as her gaze returned to him. "So, you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked, already knowing the answer from the smirk on his face.

He didn't bother answering. He brought her hand up to his lips as he stopped at a red light. He wanted to kiss her lips again, but there was no time before the light turned green. He made a left turn, turning off of the road that would lead them back to town, onto a road that seemed to lead nowhere. Chilarie knew exactly where it did lead, though, and a big grin appeared on her face, though she turned her face to look outside the window so he wouldn't see it. She only hoped that her guess was right.

It was. He pulled up in front of the arcade, and Chilarie had to hide her excitement. She had been here so many times, she was confident in her ability to play video games. He didn't need to know that yet. She turned to look at him with a smirk on her face. "An acrade?" she asked, and his smile slid off his face. He was worried she wouldn't like it. She smiled at him. "That is a great idea, really," she said, leaning over to give him a light kiss on the lips before she got out of the car. "Bet I can beat you at Air Hockey," she called as she raced into the building.

Laughing, he got out of the car and followed her. A few hours later, he was not laughing. She had beat him in nearly every game they played, and he wasn't really liking it. After she beat him at yet another racing game, he walked over to the pizza place side of the building, grabbing his rootbeer and taking a swig. She followed him, chuckling. Her hair had long since been pulled out of the half pony tail, and she had pulled it up into a messy bun, to get it out of her way, but a few curls had worked their way out of the hair tie.

After drinking half of her own soda of choice, Dr. Pepper('It makes the world taste better,' she had quoted one of their earlier slogans. He had scoffed, but she had vowed to make a Dr. Pepper lover out of him yet.), she turned to him, stepping close and reaching up to pull his face down to hers so she could kiss the scowl off of it. She took a step back and smirked at him before the kiss could get too out of hand. She wanted it to, and that scared her. "Don't be a sore loser. It's not very attractive," she teased, pulling out her phone to check it. "Oh, shoot, it's an hour till curfew," she added.

They gathered their things, and got in the Comet. They held hands as he drove, and Chilarie had to admit this was the best evening of her life. She never wanted to stop kissing him, or just hanging out with him. Already they had been stealing kisses between games like they'd been dating for ages, and they touched every chance they got, whether it was just a simple brushing of skin on skin, or holding hands. She felt the need to be in constant contact with him, and that kind of scared her, but it was a good kind of fear.

Even the thoughts in her head weren't making sense. She was still scared of getting hurt, but she was beginning to think getting hurt might not be so bad, if she gets some good experiences with him first. She knew she was falling, hard and fast, for the guy next to her, but maybe she'd stop trying to slow herself down. She'd let whatever was going to happen, happen, and maybe things with Brett wouldn't work out, but she didn't want to risk them not working out because she was scared.

When Brett pulled the car into the driveway of Chilarie's house, she raised an eyebrow at him, but he just got out of the car, gesturing for her to do the same when he walked over to her side and opened her door for her. "I'm going to walk you to your door, then walk to the Rivercourt to get my car," he informed her. Before she could protest, he continued. "It's not that far, and I'm a big guy, I can handle it," he said, halting her words with a sweet kiss on the lips as they reached the front door.

It quickly turning into a make-out session as Chilarie led him over to the front porch swing. They sat there for forty-five minutes, making out. They didn't even stop when there were footsteps on the front porch steps. It was most likely that they didn't hear them, but they were pretty lucky. Nicci stood there, tapping her foot, and she cleared her throat, not once, not twice, but three times, before she got the attention of the couple. "Your parents will be here in about ten minutes," she informed Chilarie.

The couple stood quickly, and Brett placed one last kiss on her lips. "I really had an amazing time tonight, Hot Shot. You should let me beat you at video games again sometime," she smirked at him. He told her he'd call her and then slipped away into the night. Her phone vibrated as she received a text and she was surprised that it was from him. It read: 'Is it too soon to say that I miss you?' She grinned, then showed Nicci, who smiled at her best friend's happiness. Chilarie typed back a reply, and then the two girls went inside, so Chilarie could change her clothes before her parents got home.

As they walked up the stairs, Chilarie stopped texting long enough to notice the bag Nicci had slung over her shoulder. "You staying the night?" she asked, casually, because it wasn't like it was strange. The two stayed the night at each others houses all the time. They were best friends after all. Chilarie was kind of glad that Nicci was staying, because she wanted to relive all her moments with Brett, and analyze them with her best friend. Nicci was the only one who knew that she'd gone on a date tonight and, therefore, the only one she could talk to. The only one she would talk to, regardless.

With a nod, she patted her trusty overnight bag. "Yup. My parents had all the adults over, after their little night out, and they were going to sit and talk for a few minutes. I asked both sets of parentals, and they both gave the go ahead, so I got my stuff together, took the ginormous flashlight they make me lug around when walking after dark, and headed down the block to see you," she held up the flashlight, but dropped it on one of the little end tables on the second floor landing.

They continued to the third floor, where Chilarie's room still was. Once inside the room, Nicci dropped her stuff, and Chilarie walked over to the sliding glass door, which opened to her own terrace, which gave her access to the roof, if she wanted to climb up there. Sometimes she did to look at the stars. She opened the sliding glass door, making sure the screen was locked, so she could get a nice breeze in her room. It was still spring, and most nights were still cool, but the breeze outside was soothing to her.

Both girls changed into their pajamas, then sat on Chilarie's bed, getting ready to talk until the early morning. They rarely slept during their sleepovers, especially since it was a Friday night. Being careful not to talk to loud, Chilarie told Nicci about her whole evening, lowering her voice even more every time she heard footsteps walking past her door. Her parents came in to check on them when they got home, but that was the only interruption they had. When she finally had described the evening, Nicci said that she had some news.

Surprised, Chilarie just waited for her best friend to make her confession. She assumed that it wasn't that big, because Nicci had let her go on about her whole night. "I, um, kind of met someone," she stammered, and Chilarie could only cock an eyebrow, shocked into silence. Nicci continued. "Well, I haven't technically met him. I've just been talking to someone online for a while, and he doesn't live far from here. He's our age. I really like him. I'm not going to do anything stupid, like meet him on my own, or anything, but I'm definately going to keep talking to him," she gushed.

Chilarie had never seen Nicci like this before. She looked so excited about this guy. Chilarie was very happy for her best friend, but also a little annoyed that she hadn't heard when Nicci had started talking to the dude. She chastized her best friend, but quickly forgave her, so they could talk about their respective love interests, late into the night. It was long after that that the pair went to bed, but it was a good night. They hadn't talked much over the past three weeks, and both of them were glad for the reconnection.

A/N: Okay, still I only have one person reviewing this fic. With that in mind, I'd like to say thank you to Juzzy88. I'd kind of like the opinion of more than one person, though, so if anyone else has anything to say, please tell me, whether it's good or bad. Oh, and I decided to change the name of this fic, because I decided the title should be more like the other ones in this series. In case y'all were wondering about that. Next chapter will involve some more of the other characters, kind of. Well, a little. Something's going to happen, I'll tell you that. All this Brett and Chilarie stuff, I'm really just getting into it to start off the fic. I have storylines for other characters too, and I will get to them, I'm just trying to get things rolling. So, please, please, please, tell me what you think. Yes, I really am begging for reviews. So, please, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, though I would definately love to own Dr. Pepper. I do believe it does make the world taste better.


	5. Ch4: Secrets and Sleepovers

It had been a month since Chilarie and Brett's first date, and they were still secretly dating. They both still had some secrets, but they were happy with each other, and told each other everything else. Chilarie still hadn't confided in him her first name, but she was seriously considering it. It felt like something private to her, and if she told him that, along with her convulted family history, then she really would be opening all the way to him. While she was open to falling in love with him, she was scared to open herself all the way up. Brett, unbenownst to her, was feeling the same way about his secrets.

Nicci was still the only one to know that Chilarie was dating Brett. She desperately wanted to shout it from the rooftops, because she did want everyone to know, but she was scared of what her father would do if he knew. So it had to stay a secret. Chilarie was the only one to know that Nicci was still talking to the online boy, which they had taken to calling him. Nicci was seriously falling for the dude, but Chilarie had made her promise not to go meet him alone, if she ever did meet him. The girls were glad to know each others secrets, because it allowed them to be closer than ever.

As soon as she walked in the front door, Chilarie knew something was off. When she reached the living room, she knew for sure. Every one of her extended family members were in her living room. Except for Rachel, she noted as she quickly scanned the living room. Also, almost everyone was crying. Most silently, but it was there. Peyton rushed up to her, pulling her into a hug. "Where have you been, I've been calling your phone for an hour," she said, and Chilarie could feel her mom's tears on her shirt. Chilarie pulled back and looked at her mom with eyes that asked what happened. "Rachel's been in an accident. She's in a coma," Peyton added quietly.

Immediately, Chilarie pulled out of her mother's arms, walking over to Brooke, who was sitting on the couch. Brooke moved Johnathan out of her lap, into Isabella's arms, and then stood, to receive the hug from her niece. Chilarie rubbed Brooke's back, and whispered soothing things into her ear for a little while, as she felt her own tears slip out. Then she retreated over to the wall where James was. She leaned against it, then slid down, so her butt hit the ground. She leaned her head against James's shoulder and willed her tears to stop. She was worried about her Aunt Rachel, but she was also worried about the mess she'd leave behind if she didn't make it.

After a while, everyone broke up, Brooke going to the hospital, and her and Rachel's kids being split up between their Aunts and Uncles. Isabella, Christopher and Johnathan stayed at the Leyton house and Danielle and Sophia went to the Naley house. Bella slept in Baley's room, becuase they were best friends and Chris and Johnny slept in a guest room, because the little boy wanted to sleep with his older brother. That meant Chilarie had her room all to herself. Usually she'd invite Nicci over in a crisis, or she'd talk to James, but tonight, she found herself wanting to talk to a completely different person.

Ever since he had dropped her off, and she had come inside to the scene she saw, Chilarie had wanted to be wrapped in the comfort of Brett's arms. She sat in the window seat, looking out at the tree right next to it. The branches grew close enough for her to climb out onto them. She hadn't ever done that before. Actually, her parents had told her she was the only one they trusted with not only the terrace, but a tree right next to her bedroom window. Occassionally, she used the terrace to climb out onto the roof, but they knew that, and they trusted her with the responsibility, and the tree.

As she slipped open the window, glancing back to make sure no movement could be heard in the rest of the house, she abused that responsibility for the first time. "Sorry, Mom and Dad," she whispered as she climbed out onto the branch, leaving the window open so she could climb back in later. She carefully climbed down the tree, glad that she hadn't changed into her pajamas, because she was still wearing her jeans. She was sure that her legs would have been covered in scrapes and scratches if she had been wearing her sleep shorts. Actually, she wasn't sure the jeans did that much protecting.

Instead of taking her car, and waking the whole house, she decided to walk. Well, she walked for stealth, and because she left her keys in her room. The beach wasn't that far anyway, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Brett's beach house. She hadn't met his parent's yet, but everytime she brought up anything about his family, he got kind of tense and would change the subject, so she didn't push it. She got out her cell phone and called his phone, because she didn't want to wake his parents by knocking on the front door. That would not make for a good first impression.

After a few rings, Brett answered the phone with a groggy greeting. "You'll never guess what's in your front yard," she said, forcing cheerfullness into her voice. A few seconds later, a curtain was drawn and she saw Brett standing there, with no shirt, his hair all mussed and a phone to his ear. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers at him, the smile expanding on her face real, just because she saw him. The curtain fell back and the phone clicked off. She was just putting her phone back into her pocket when the front door opened, and there he was, standing there, pulling a sweatshirt on.

Before either of them realized what was going on, Chilarie had thrust herself forward, into his arms. He was a bit shocked, and still half-asleep, but he wrapped his arms around her, asked her what was wrong, and kissed her forehead. "Nothing," she murmured before she realized that there were some tears slipping down her cheeks. She rarely cried, but this was definately a rare occassion. He gave her a pointed look. "Okay, something," she corrected. "Can we go sit on the beach and talk?" she asked, still not wanting to disturb his parents.

Without wasting any time, he began leading her around the house and out to the beach. When he was about halfway between his house and the water, they both sat down on the sand. Chilarie picked up a handful of sand, letting it sift through her fingers into a neat pile. She was trying really hard to ignore the look he was giving her. She just needed a moment before starting. It was an awfully long story to tell. She picked up another handful, but a hand grasped her wrist. She felt the familiar little shivers go up and down her spine, as she continued looking down.

For the first time, she noticed that he was wearing only boxers and a sweatshirt. She got a sudden urge to laugh, and she probably would have, if everything else wasn't so completely unfunny at the moment. She took a deep breath. "My Aunt Rachel is in the hospital right now. She's in a coma, and barely hanging on. My Aunt Brooke will be so completely lost without her. I mean, I can't even picture one without the other, they're so completely in love," she saw the look in his face. "I guess I should start this history from the beginning. Please, don't interrupt, my family history is a long and complex one," she paused and he sent her a look to continue.

After taking in a deep breath, she blew it out, blowing a few curls out of her eyes. The fell right back into the place they'd been seconds before. "It started back when my parents were in their first year of college. My mom, Aunt Haley and Aunt Brooke were all cheerleaders, and my dad and Uncle Nathan were on the basketball team at Duke. My dad, his brother Nathan and his girlfriend Brooke didn't really run in the same circle as my mom and her best friend Haley, at least, not until my mom started dating Nathan," she began, keeping her eyes on the water as she brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

To be honest, she still found it hard to believe her Uncle was almost her father, if Nathan and Peyton would have lasted. She continued with the story, having to pause in disbelief a few times, but he never interrupted her, and she kept her gaze firmly on the waves crashing against the shore. "So, anyway, I guess it was rocky, but I've never seen two people better made for each other than my Aunts Brooke and Rachel, unless it's my mom and dad, or my Aunt Haley and Uncle Nathan. I guess you could say they've really set my relationship expectations high," she tried to joke.

There was silence for a while, and then he reached out, taking one of her hands and lacing their fingers. She still didn't look at him just yet. "Well, I guess I have some big shoes to fill then," he kept his tone light, but then grew more serious. "I'm going to try my best. All of this is new to me. I want you to know that I'm going to do my best to be the guy you deserve, and I'll be around as long as you want me to be, Hope. Even if that means telling you my secrets, because you just told me yours," he said, taking a deep breath as he prepared to tell her about his family. He was more nervous than she had been.

When she realized that he was still accepting who she was, despite the complexity of her family, she turned to look at him, finally looking away from the water. She saw that he was nervous and gave the hand she was holding a squeeze. "I can only ask you to do your best, because I can only give you my best. This relationship thing isn't exactly new to me, but the rest of it is. Whatever you have to tell me, it can't be that bad, and I promise I'll be right here, no matter what it is," she informed him, trying to be as supportive of him as he'd been of her.

For another couple of seconds, there was silence, as Brett gathered his thoughts. Chilarie kept quiet, though, because he had stayed silent until she was finished. "My dad disappeared years and years ago. I think I was about five," he paused, as if thinking about it, then gave a confirming nod. "Yeah, five sounds about right. I'm pretty sure I was already in school. He used to beat my mother, verbally abuse me, and then one day he just up and left. This probably sounds horrible, but I haven't missed him once since I was old enough to understand what happened," he voice trailed off bitterly.

Bringing him back to the present, Chilarie gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She wanted desperately to comfort him, but knew that now wasn't the time, and she honestly couldn't think of anything to say. "My mom remarried a couple years after. He's a great guy. He was really there for her, but, I don't know, I just couldn't get used to the idea of him as a father. I was happy that my mom was happy, though. If anyone deserved happiness, it was my mom. She was young when she married my dad, but she insisted he was a different person, and she had been in love with him at the time. She always said he changed," his eyes got a faraway look, as he lost himself in memories.

For a moment, Chilarie really couldn't understand the look on his face. Then she saw the hurt. He always his his emotions, espectially at school. She was glad he was opening up to her. "I don't know if she was ever happy with my dad, but she was happy with her new husband. They had two kids, my little brother and sister. I guess I haven't beem there for them lately. I haven't really been able to be. My mom died two years ago. She was hit by a drunk driver. Her death was slow, and I was able to get to the hospital before she died. The doctors told me there was nothing they could do, but I couldn't not see her. I had to say goodbye," he broke off, blinking away tears.

It was clear he didn't like to relive these memories. Still, he went on. "After that, I moved into the beach house. I couldn't stand my mom's husband trying to be a parent to me without my mom around. I guess I know now that he was just trying to be there for me, like he was there for her after my dad left, but I was rebellious after the loss of my mother. I literally didn't see the point in trying anymore. She pushed me to try my hardest and, without her, I just didn't see the point. I stopped working for early graduation, like she wanted, I started picking up bad habits, and the only things I cared about was basketball and myself," he paused.

Returning to the present, he looked at her, grey eyes meeting blue-green. "Until you," he said and she blushed, about to protest. "No, Hope, it's true. My life was a mess before you. I had no goals, no ambition. I didn't care about anything at all. I was a jackass. That day I first saw you on the Rivercourt, it changed my life. I found some of that drive that left me when my mom died. I found hope, again. I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I only know one thing. I am falling in love with you, Hope Scott," he declared.

The petite blonde could not find her voice. Her mind was blank and she was so shocked, she had no idea what to say. "Chilarie," was the first thing she could think of. He sent her a confused look and she cracked a smile. "My first name. It's Chilarie. My parents named me Chilarie Hope Scott," she informed him. He smiled, and opened his mouth to speak, but she continued. "This whole thing scares me. I'm really not used to this, and I know you're going away to college soon, but I'm falling in love with you, too, Brett Michael Casey," she said the words right back, before meeting his lips in a kiss.

When he had told her his middle name, wanting to exchange it for the knowledge of her first, she had only told him that he had the same middle name as her older brother. He could laugh at that now, but he had been frustrated. "Chilarie Hope Scott," he said thoughtfully, when they had pulled their lips apart. She waited with bated breath for him to continue. "I like it," he said, and she let out the breath she hadn't really realized she was holding as his lips captured hers for another sweet, but passionate kiss. It was then she realized he was still wearing just boxers.

The next time they pulled away, she shoved him playfully. "Go put some pants on, goof, it's cold out here," she said looking out at the water again. He was still sitting next to her, so she looked at him. "I'm serious, I don't want you getting sick. I'm really going to need you now, and you being sick just won't be that much of a help," she said, serious, but really just needing a couple minutes alone with her thoughts and the ocean. She glanced up, noticing the storm clouds coming in fast, echoing her mood, despite the smile she had put on for him.

He cocked an eyebrow at her as he stood, thinking that pants would be a good idea. He knew her standards, and he wanted to respect that. "You sure you don't want to come inside, too. I mean, there are no parents in there. We don't have to stay here on the beach," he said, noticing that she was shivering slightly. He also knew she would never admit she was cold. He was worried about her because of the cold, and because of the fact that her aunt was in the hospital, but he'd known her long enough to know that she would talk when ready.

Instead of looking at him, she kept her eyes on the clouds, kind of hoping it would rain. She shook her head at his invitation. Not because she was scared of being alone with him in his house. Okay, maybe that was partially it. Mostly she just wanted to stay on the beach, though. It was one of her favorite places in the world. The first was the house she had lived when when she was born. They still owned it, but they rented it out. The second was the Rivercourt, because, like her father, it was where she did her best thinking, well, at the Rivercourt, and sometimes at the beach.

As he stood, he kept staring at her, and he didn't make any motion to move. She finally looked up at him, and offered a smile that they both knew was fake. She knew that he knew it was fake as well, but he didn't question it. "Seriously, I'll be fine here. It's not like I'm going anywhere. Even though I shouldn't really be here in the first place," she paused, thinking of her parents and how upset they'd be if they knew where she was. She only hoped they didn't check on her in the middle of the night. "Just hurry back," she added when he continued to eye her skeptically.

After another moment, in while her gaze returned to the ocean, he turned and headed for his house. When he retuned a few minutes later, she had sprawled out on the sand, her knees bent and her shoes kicked off. Her feet were buried in the sand, and she was staring up at the stars, which were barely visible through the storm clouds that were continually getting closer. He had brought a blanket, and a sweatshirt for her, and he was now wearing a pair of pajama pants along with his sweatshirt. She moved over to the blanket when he laid it out, and pulled the sweatshirt over her head without complaint, because she was kind of cold.

When he just stood there, as she got comfortable on the blanket, she patted the spot next to her. He took a seat reluctantly before lying down. He was worried it was going to start raining, and he didn't want to get wet. "Please, just lay with me and hold me for a while. I just," she paused, not really sure how to finish. "I just, really need the comfort, and I can't get it from home, because five of my siblings, and all of my cousins are younger than me. I'm just scared she's not going to make it, and I don't know what's going to happen if she doesn't," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

With no further hesitation, he pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his chest as he held her. A few silent tears slipped, and he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You don't have to be strong all the time, you know, Chilarie," he smiled when he said her name, and she smiled into his chest as well. "You are allowed to break down once in a while. The world won't collapse if you do, and even if it does, I'll be here to help you get through it," he promised, stroking her curls. She just stayed silent. "Tell me about your aunt. The good things," he suggested, still stroking her hair.

Sniffling, Chilarie thought back to one of her favorite memories of Rachel. "I remember when I was about six. I was always a Daddy's girl. No matter how much I love my mom, how much I look like her, or how many traits of hers I have, I've had my dad wrapped around my finger from day one. We never fight, and if we do, we always make up really quickly, over a game of basketball, or whatever. Anyway, he was teaching Baley how to read, so she'd be ready to start kindergarten, and he spent so much time with her, because she was just not getting it," she chuckled lightly, mentally ten years away.

Patiently, he waited for her to continue. "Anyway, this was when we had just found out my mom was pregnant with twins again. Jason, being the annoying big brother that he is, told me that Daddy wouldn't love me as much anymore, because of the new babies, and because he was spending so much time with Baley. Of course, I believed him, because I was six. I remember running all the way to the Rivercourt, without telling anyone, and I sat in the middle of the court, crying my eyes out. Everyone flipped out when they realized I was missing, but Rachel was the first to find me," she paused, fondly.

As he waited for her to continue, he pictured a six-year-old Chilarie, sitting at the Rivercourt crying. He imagined she looked adorable, even if she was sad. "Rachel came up and sat next to me, asked me what was wrong. I told her, and she just laughed. She told me my daddy would love me forever, no matter how many kids he had, and she told me that Jason was just jealous because I was better looking," she laughed, shaking her head slightly. "Then she told me a secret. She told me that she and Aunt Brooke were thinking of adopting a child, and they didn't mean that they would love Isabella any less," she paused again, remembering being a kid, and being excited about being in on the secret.

As she remembered the rest, tears started falling again. "Then she told me that she'd always be there to listen to my problems, if I couldn't go to my mom or dad. She said I was her favorite, and I always would be, because I had attitude, but I knew when to reel it in. She said she was proud of me, and I could come to her with anything, any time, day or night, and she wouldn't even tell my mom, if I didn't want her to, but she couldn't promise she wouldn't make me tell her," the tears came harder and faster. "She promised she'd never leave. She has to keep her promise," she sobbed.

A few minutes later, rain mixed with her tears, but Brett just held her, not wanting to disturb her. She needed to let out her fears, and he'd promised that he'd be there for her. They were getting completely soaked, but Chilarie didn't care at all. As she cried, he asked to hear more memories, and she went on and on about good times before herself and her aunt. After a while, just when she was finishing another story, and her shoulders stopped shaking with sobs, she looked up at him. "Um, do you think we can go inside now? That lightning is getting close," she said.

The lighting had started not long after the rain, and the thunder booming less than ten seconds after each strike told them it was getting ever closer. He nodded and they both stood up, completely soaked to the skin. He grabbed the blanket and she grabbed her shoes, and they linked their free hands as they ran for the house. They stripped of their wet clothes, put them in the washer, and Brett grabbed them both clean pajamas. She had opted to shower, so he was already lounging on his bed, when she walked in, in his pajama pants and tee-shirt, which were way too large for her. The shirt draped to her mid-thigh and she had to roll up the pants three or four times.

As she used a towel to dry her hair, she caught sight of him, at the same moment he caught sight of her. He was wearing only a pair of basketball shorts, and all of his muscles were on display as he casually threw the ball up into the air, catching it everytime gravity worked it's magic and made the ball fall back down. Her breath caught in her throat and the butterflies in her stomach started tweaking out and she really couldn't say she hated the feeling. He was eying her up and down, loving how she looked in his clothes, with her hair still wet and no make-up on and he was getting the same reaction she was. In that moment, they both wished she had lower standards.

The long instant passed when Brett forgot that he had just tossed the ball up, and it landed on his chest. Chilarie laughed at him, entering the room further and continuing to work on her hair with the towel. "I think I'll go home as soon as the laundry's done. It'd be suspiscious if I came home in your clothes. Although, I hope they don't notice me coming home," she paused thoughtfully, then tossed the towel on his desk chair. He had tossed te basketball aside, and she climbed up onto his chest. He was laying flat on his back, and she was on top of him, chest-to-chest. She scooted up to give him a light kiss before scooting back down so she could rest her head above his heart.

They laid like that until the clothes finished washing, with Chilarie talking about Rachel, and Brett opening up more about his mom. They both shared their favorite memories with the women, and Chilarie confessed she'd like to do something for her Aunt Brooke. When she came back from putting their clothes in the dryer, they got back in the same positions. They continued to talk, sharing dreams, and fears, and they got even closer than they'd been before. They both let their guards down, and were completely honest with each other, both of them loving it. By the time the clothes finished drying, they were both asleep.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews I got for the last chapter. They made me feel a bit better about this fic. So, what do you think of this chapter? Let me know, any comments, questions or suggestions you have. What do you think about Rachel, and what do you think is going to happen to her? I already know, because I've had this storyline planned out for a while, but let me know what you think. Oh, and someone asked if Brett and Chilarie will be the new Naley. I don't want to give too much away, but maybe something like that. You all will have to wait and find out. Review, please!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my ideas.


	6. Ch5: Rachel's Song

In the morning, as the first rays of sun came in through the window, Chilarie started to wake up. She moved to stretch, and was surprised to find her head was on someone's chest. That woke her up real quick. She jumped up into a sitting position, as her eyes flew open. First she looked down at herself. She was wearing clothes way too big for her, and she didn't even recognize them. Then she took in a deep breath and looked over at the body next to her. The sight of Brett, not to mention his scent, brought back all the memories of the previous day and night.

For one moment, she actually considered forgetting the outside world, and going back to sleep next to Brett. Then reality set in, and she got up, surprised that he hadn't awoken yet, and headed for the dryer. Quickly and quietly, she slipped into her clothes, folding his and setting them on his dresser. She ventured closer to place a soft goodbye kiss on his forehead before retreating. She only made it to the door before his eyes opened, and his voice stopped her. "Where you going, Little Scott? I didn't picture you as the type to leave before someone woke up," his voice was still husky with sleep.

That really made her want to go over and jump back into bed with him. Despite the fact that he was definitely sexy all day long, his morning voice was definitely sexy, and Chilarie found herself wishing, if only for a brief moment, that she could hear it more often. She slowly sauntered back toward the bed. "I didn't want to wake you up. I know it's early, but I have to get home before my mom sends out a search party," she said, with a wry smile, though she knew the possibility was not entirely far-fetched. Instead of thinking about her mother, though, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

As she straightened to head for the door once again, he grabbed her wrist, kissing her palm tenderly. Her eyes fluttered shut, as he placed kisses on each of her fingertips. "You'll think about what I said, right?" he asked. Her eyes closed and her body focused only on his lips on her skin, she nodded silently. "Good," he added. Then, in one swift motion, he sat up, pulling her over and into his lap. "As long as you promise to think about it, I promise not to kiss you until the sun goes down tonight," he said, kissing her nonetheless. One of his hands immediately burrowed in her hair as the other fell to her hip.

All thoughts of getting home and everything else flew out of her mind. How could they not, when his kisses forced her heart to speed up, and her skin to catch fire, when his touches incited butterflies in her stomach and just a simple look caused her breath to catch in her throat. She wasn't sure what all of this meant, but she wasn't going to give it up. Definitely not. One of her hands found its way to the nape of his neck, while the other landed on his chest. It trailed down slowly, as she felt every muscle of his abs, due to the fact that he was still shirtless. His abs were her favorite physical feature of him.

This went on for a few minutes before Chilarie worked up the will to pull back. She rested her forehead against his, and their breathing was in sync as they both tried to catch their breath. She placed one last, quick kiss on his lips as she stood. "I'll talk to you later, and I will think about it. Promise," she said as she left the room before he could pull her back in. She walked home slowly. The rain had stopped sometime before the sun rose, and there were puddles, but everything had a fresh clean smell. Chilarie loved the smell of Tree Hill right after it rained. It smelled like home. She knew that no matter where she went or what she did during her life, Tree Hill would always be her home.

As she walked, she passed by the house her Aunt Brooke bought for her parents before she was born. They still owned the house, but they rented it out. Currently, she knew, Isabella's dad was living there, with his two other children. Their mother had just died not too long ago. Isabella stayed there every other weekend, since her dad had moved in about a year ago. It had been empty for a while before that. Actually, it was in that house that Rachel found Christopher. Chris had lost both his parents when he was 15, and he didn't take to being a ward of the state. He ran away from the foster home, and broke into the empty house so he could have somewhere to stay.

A month before Chase was going to move in, Rachel planned on cleaning up the place, and she enlisted Chilarie's help. They walked in to find Chris, asleep on the plastic-covered couch. It was a bit of a shock for all three, but Rachel instantly felt a connection with the teenager, and she didn't give up on him. During that whole month, she let him stay, if he helped her fix up the house. It needed some renovations, and as long as he helped, she fed him, and didn't confess to Peyton and Lucas that they had a stray living in their spare house. When the month was up, she invited him to live with them.

In all honesty, Brooke was hesitant, and still hadn't taken to the redhead like Rachel did. Sure, Chris had eventually grown on her, but that was probably more to do with his connection to Rachel, and how much he looked like her, despite the fact that they were in no way related, than any connection Brooke had with him. He was a bad seed before Rachel took him in, and he still had his moments, but Rachel hadn't given up on him, ever. Not when he continually snuck out in the first few months, or threw a party in Brooke's Tree Hill store. Brooke had wanted to kick him out, but Rachel kept at it, until he realized she cared.

That was when she adopted him. About four, five months ago, the final papers had gone through. The redheaded boy had never had a much of a family before, because his parents, before they died, hadn't been very good at being parents, so he found it quite different to have a mother figure that cared so much about what he was doing, and how long he was doing it. Rachel had never been mother to a teenaged boy before either, but they had gotten used to it. With his red hair, the same shade as hers, and eyes the same color as hers as well; many people thought they actually were blood related.

Quickly, Chilarie took her thoughts away from Rachel. She needed some news on the woman who had been so much more than just an aunt to her over the years. She had been a mentor, a confidante, and a place to get good advice. She was close to all of her 'aunts' blood related or not, but her bond with Rachel was different than any of them. Rachel was the one she shared most of her most private moments with. Rachel was the adult she was closest to, aside from her parents, of course. She just didn't know how the whole family was going to get by if Rachel didn't make it. Of course, they eventually would pull through, but things wouldn't be the same ever again.

When she reached the house, Chilarie went through the front door, figuring she could say that she went out for a walk or something, if someone was up. Someone was awake alright. Her mom was pacing the living room when she walked past. "Oh, Chilarie, where have you been," she cried as she walked up to her daughter and threw her arms around her. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for ages. Your phone is in your bedroom, though," she said as she hugged her daughter. There were tears on her mothers cheeks, and Chilarie got an odd sense of deja vu, until the next sentence slipped from Peyton's lips. "Rachel's gone," she added.

For a moment, the news didn't register to the sixteen year old. Then she was shaking her head. "No, no," she murmured at first, and then her tone got louder. Tears started pouring down her cheeks as all the possibilities she thought of earlier became the reality. Lucas came into the room, and both of her parents held her, and soothed her as she cried. The only person she wanted was Brett, but her parents were not a bad substitute. She knew they would have to do for a while, considering she wouldn't be able to get away from family that much, which would mean she would be lacking contact with Brett.

After a while, Chilarie managed to clean herself up. She went upstairs, took a shower and put on some clean clothes. Then she told her parents, who hadn't even asked where she'd been that morning that she was going to the Naley household. She got in her Comet, and she actually did drive over to the other Scott's house. Luckily, James was home, and she went straight to his room. She knew that he knew because he pulled her into a hug. "I'm surprised you're here. I mean, I rarely see you anymore. You're usually with Nicci, or your friend, Brett," he said, not bitterly, but with a cocked eyebrow, laying on the guilt a little thick.

Smiling fakely, Chilarie smacked his arm. "I can still kick your ass, don't forget that," she stuck her tongue out at him. "Anyway, you're always with your new girlfriend, Kate, so you're just as much to blame as I am," she informed him, before getting completely serious. "Listen, I have this idea," she said. He gave her his full attention, intrigued. "I want to do something for Aunt Rachel, and Aunt Brooke. I kind of write songs in my spare time, sometimes, so, I thought, for her funeral, maybe I could write a song, and since singing and playing guitar is more your thing, maybe you can play it for me," she suggested, letting him know her little secret. No one else, besides Brett, knew exactly what she wrote in her notebook.

There was silence and Chilarie averted her gaze, wondering if he would turn her down. Then he smiled, and nodded. "I really think that's a great idea. It'll take a lot of work to get done in time, but I think we can pull it off, and I think Aunt Rachel would love that idea. I mean, she would totally get a kick out of a song inspired by her, and I think Aunt Brooke would appreciate the gesture as well," he said, giving his approval. Chilarie was glad he agreed, because if he didn't, she didn't have anyone else to go to. James was the only one she would really trust to be this close to her secret, plus, he had inherited his mother's singing voice.

~*~*~

During the next week, until the funeral, Chilarie barely got to spend any time with Brett, and she was really missing it. Sure, she talked to him on the phone every night before she went to bed, but she missed the physical contact as well. If someone had told her two months ago that she would be falling in love with Brett Casey, the biggest jackass at Tree Hill High, and he wouldn't be a jackass anymore, she never would of believed it, but that was what had happened, and she couldn't say she regretted it. The only thing she regretted was that it wasn't out in the open, so she didn't get to spend any time with him.

The good news was, by the day of the funeral, the song was ready. She had pitched it perfect for James's voice, and she really thought the lyrics were perfect. When she was getting ready, she grabbed her notebook, with the lyrics and notes written down, and shoved it in her purse, just in case. She didn't expect it to go wrong though. Brett would be at the funeral, sitting somewhere else, because this was Tree Hill, and most everyone knew everyone else, at least through connection. A lot of people were coming in from Bear Creek, too, where Rachel had gone to high school.

When the mic was offered for people to say things about Rachel, Chilarie immediately stood up. She felt both her mother and father squeeze her hands before they dropped them, and she shared a glance with James. It was agreed that she would go up first to say a few things, and then she would bring him up. As she stood behind the podium, she sought out Brett's gaze, taking comfort in his reassuring smile. She took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself and stop crying. Actually, she was sure the only reason she was able to control her tears was because of Brett's steady gaze, and him constantly mouthing the words, 'You can do it,' to her.

Taking one last deep breath, she composed herself enough to speak. "Hi, I'm Hope Scott, I was Rachel's niece," she broke off, hating the use of the past tense. "Anyway, Rachel meant the world to me, and I know I'm going to see her again one day," she paused again, a few more tears slipping down her already wet cheeks. "I really can't say much, or I'll start crying even more," she chuckled lightly, but it was forced. "Which is why I wrote a song, for my Aunt Rachel, and I'm going to have my cousin, James Scott, come sing it, because I'm going to start crying even more any minute now, and I wouldn't get through the first verse," she forced a chuckle again, and stepped down as James came up with his guitar.

Instead of returning to her seat between her parents, she walked right to the pew Brett was sitting on, and took a seat next to him. She didn't care anymore who saw her, or what the consequences were. She needed him, and she would accept the consequences later. She felt nearly all of her family's eyes on her, but she just snuggled up close to her boyfriend, burying her face in his chest for a moment as he cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She turned to look up at only James as he started singing, and she focused on him for the whole song, ignoring everything else, except the comfort of her boyfriend next to her, and the weight removed from her chest now that the secret was gone.

_Why did she have to go  
So young I just don't know why  
Things happen half the time  
Without reason without rhyme  
Lovely, sweet young woman  
Daughter, wife and mother  
Makes no sense to me  
I just have to believe_

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels  
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees  
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting  
And I know she's smiling saying  
Don't worry 'bout me

Loved ones she left behind  
Just trying to survive  
And understand the why  
Feeling so lost inside  
Anger shot straight at God  
Then asking for His love  
Empty with disbelief  
Just hoping that maybe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels  
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees  
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting  
And I know she's smiling saying  
Don't worry 'bout me

It's hard to say goodbye  
Her picture in my mind  
They'll always be of times I'll cherish  
And I won't cry 'cause

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels  
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees  
And she walks with jesus and her loved ones waiting  
And I know she's smiling saying  
Don't worry 'bout me  
Don't worry 'bout me

By the song was finished, there was not a dry eye in the place, not that there had been many before the song had started. Chilarie was bawling by that point, and she had her face buried in Brett's chest to muffle the sobs. A few more people spoke, including Brooke, and many family members. Some people who knew Rachel in high school also spoke about her, and some of her family members, who were never really around, also spoke. Chilarie knew that most of Rachel's family hated her for being with Brooke, so she kind of despised them for speaking at Rachel's funeral, but there was nothing she could do.

The casket was lowered into the ground at Tree Hill cemetery, and some people said goodbye to her gravestone before they went to Brooke's house for lunch. Chilarie rode with Brett, to Brooke's house, not caring that only close family was supposed to be there. He was close to her, and so she needed him there. They stopped outside the front door to the house, and Chilarie took a deep breath, smiling when she felt him squeeze her hand. "We don't have to do this, you know. I don't want to upset anybody in there, and I'm sure tensions are high. I won't be offended if you don't want to do this," he said, looking into her eyes to gauge her emotions.

With a smile, she tightened her grip on his hand, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I do want to do this. I can't not do this. Not after what I already did," she said, referring to how she sat with him instead of her parents. She bit her lip as she remembered the look on their faces, even though she'd purposefully tried to avoid looking at them. Her dad was definitely not happy, and her mom had looked disappointed. Still, she needed him, and that's all there is to it. "Listen, I need you with me, and they have to accept that," she paused briefly. "Unless you don't want to do this. I can understand if you don't want to do this," she added worriedly.

Reaching up, he softly caressed her cheek, moving a curl out of the way before he placed a gentle kiss there. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Chilarie Hope Scott. I'm here for you," he said, reassuringly. It wasn't many words, but it gave her all the courage she needed to open the door, and pull him into the house. They had left the funeral first, and had sat parked at the Rivercourt for a little while, so they were the last to arrive. Brooke was sitting on the couch, while everyone else tried to make sure she was okay. She wasn't, but she probably wouldn't be for a while. The only person conspicuously missing was Christopher.

Brooke was the first one to break the silence when she spotted her niece. She waved the blonde over, and Chilarie cautiously walked toward the couch, ignoring everyone's stares as Brett trailed along behind her. Brooke stood, and pulled Chilarie into a hug, forcing her to drop Brett's hand as she hugged her aunt back. "That was such a beautiful song, and such perfect lyrics. I know she would love it," Brooke whispered as she hugged her niece, placing a kiss on her cheek-the opposite one that Brett had kissed moments earlier-and let go, taking one of Chilarie's hands as she looked at her face.

Forcing a smile, Chilarie thanked Brooke, as she blindly reached for Brett's hand again. She felt his fingers wrap around hers, and she instantly was able to breathe easier. She hadn't even been aware of the heaviness in her chest that resulted in the lack of contact until it went away. "I hope so. She was a pretty amazing person. I just wanted to do something in her memory. You know, kind of my way to say goodbye, I guess," she didn't even notice the tears in her eyes, or the way she was rambling, until Brett stepped forward, so that he was right behind her, and wrapped her in a hug.

Rubbing her shoulders, he tried to calm her down, and did a pretty good job. "It's okay. You're okay," he whispered into her ear, just holding her until the tears stopped. She looked up at him, her eyes saying thank you. Just as her lips opened to say it as well, he shook his head. "I told you, I'm here for you. If that means you need to cry on my shoulder, or yell and scream at me, whatever. It doesn't matter, as long as you let your emotions out," he spoke softly, so that only she could hear. It was a conversation for them, not the whole room, even though almost everyone was still watching them.

When she calmed down, she smiled at him, turning around to face Brooke again. She whispered her condolences and then pulled Brett over to the food. They both made a plate, and then found a place to sit. As they ate they kept up a constant conversation, and most of her family stayed away from her. The only one who approached them was Nicci. She sat down with them, with her plate of food, and she spent some time trying to get to know Brett, to see if she could figure out why her best friend was dating him. Yeah, she was the only one who knew about it before, but it was still a shock the way Chilarie decided to out them as a couple. She hadn't expected that, and she was sure no one else did either.

A few hours later people began to leave, and Chilarie and Nicci got a ride home from Brett. He dropped Nicci off first, of course, and then drove slowly on the way to Chilarie's house. Neither of them said anything, and they weren't even holding hands. Chilarie was worried about what was going to happen when she got home. She knew her parents had left already, and most of her siblings were home as well. How big of a deal would her parents make out of this? Honestly, it wasn't like she had gone out and got a tattoo or something, and she hadn't gone out and gotten drunk either. Her grades weren't slipping. What was the problem with not telling anyone who you were dating?

Truthfully, she knew exactly what the problem would be. Of course she did; she wasn't that stupid. The problem wouldn't be that she was seeing someone. The problem would be that she was seeing Brett. She didn't know what she'd do if her parents forbade it, but she did know she couldn't live her life without Brett in it anymore. Not happily at least. He had become a big part of her life, the best part, really, and if he was taken away, the light in her life would be gone. She just didn't know how to make her parents realize that. She knew they knew what love was, but they'd never believe that she found it, and especially not with Brett.

When they stopped in front of her house, he took her hand before she could get out of the car. He rubbed her palm gently with his thumb, looking into her eyes. "Hey, I know your parents are probably going to be pissed, and yell a lot. If I could, I would go in there and take it for you, but I really don't think my being there would help matters. What you have to remember, if that I'm always going to be there for you, as long as you want me around, and don't forget that you're so lucky to have parents that care," he said, his grey eyes boring into her blue-greens.

Smiling, she leaned over and met his lips with a sweet kiss. After holding it for a few seconds she pulled back, nodding. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that. That honestly gives me all the courage I need. So, I'm going to go in there and face them and, if I still have my phone later, I will call you with the results," she kissed him one more time, more passionately, in case her parents took drastic measures, and dropped his hand, getting out of the car.

Taking a deep breath, she waited for him to drive away. He didn't immediately, so she turned to him, gesturing that he could leave, and blowing him a kiss. He smiled at her, but respected her wishes and drove away. She turned back to the house and stood still, staring at it for a full five minutes before she began to walk up the walkway. She paused again just in front of the front door. She was scared that her father would overreact, and she didn't know what to do if he did. She finally decided that she'd just have to let instinct take over, and she opened the front door and walked into the house.

It felt oddly like she was heading for the executioner's block instead of just into her living room. Both of her parents were in there, and she tried to sneak past them and go straight up to her bedroom, but neither of them were having it. She'd barely made it up two steps before her mother called her into the living room. She walked to the living room dragging her feet, until she was in the doorway. The look on Lucas's face told her just how angry he was, though he was obviously trying to stay calm as he gestured for her to come closer.

Hesitantly, Chilarie knew there was no escaping it, so she moved forward to stand in front of her parents, crossing her arms in front of her and shifting her weight onto one hip, in her defensive stance. She cocked an eyebrow and waited for the yelling to start. To her surprise, Lucas didn't start yelling. Peyton started the conversation. "How long have you been dating the boy?" she asked, holding onto Lucas's hand, obviously trying to keep him calm.

That honestly made Chilarie's temper flare. He has a name, she wanted to say, but she knew it would do no good to start the conversation mad. So she paused for a few seconds before answering. "Five weeks," she answered with a firm nod. "And his name is Brett," she couldn't help but add. She really didn't mean to, but it slipped out. She had never been good at holding her tongue when angry, much like her mother.

At that point, Lucas could no longer hold his tongue. "You've been lying to us for five weeks?! You're grounded, and you can't see him any more," he yelled. Both Peyton and Chilarie opened their mouths to respond, Chilarie angrily, and Peyton calmly, trying to be the peace keeper, but he didn't listen to either, or give either of them a chance to talk. "No, damnit, you lied, and you're getting punished for that. Give me the phone, and your keys. As for Brett, he's not a good kid, and you're not going anywhere near him," he said adamantly, holding his hand out for her phone and keys.

Shocked, the petite blonde could do nothing but stare at her father for a long moment. Then she grabbed her grabbed both her keys and her phone out of her purse and threw them at the wall, storming off towards her room. Lucas yelled at her for her behavior and she turned back at the entrance to the living room. "I hate you. You don't understand anything. He's not the person he shows the rest of the world, and he's not even the same person he was two months ago. I will not stop seeing him. I'm falling in love with him," she shouted, before turning on her heel and disappeared from sight, leaving both parents stunned in her wake.

**A/N: **_So, this is really a sad chapter. Poor Brooke. The song is by Alan Jackson, and it's called Sissy's Song. I liked it, and I like the idea of Peyton and Lucas's daughter writing music. Chilarie and Brett are no longer dating in secret. That was a big blowout between father and daughter, but hey, it happens. I should know. Anyway, it won't be resolved for a few chapters. Next chapter will focus on Brooke, and her family issues, and if I don't have 15 reviews after that chapter, I think I will put this fic on hiatus, and start something else, something that might get more reviews. I thank y'all for putting me on alert, I just want to hear feedback about what y'all are reading. Give me some feedback, please!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	7. Ch6: The First Step

About a week after the funeral, Brooke came home to find a couple of bags packed in the entryway. Confused, she wondered who they could belong to. They were from the luggage set Rachel had gotten him for his birthday, saying it was preparation for his graduation present. She had planned on getting him a plane ticket to Ireland, because he'd always wanted to go there. Brooke just didn't understand why they were packed, because, as far as she knew, he wasn't going anywhere.

Stepping forward into the house, she decided to end this mystery. "Hey Chris, could you come here, please," she called, heading for the living room. She found him already in there, as if he was waiting for her. She smiled a forced smile, like every other smile she'd had on her face since Rachel's death. She entered the room and headed for the mini bar, pouring herself a mixed drink, as was quickly becoming custom. "Why are your bags packed?" she asked.

Bracing himself, Christopher stood, facing the woman who hadn't really warmed to him like Rachel had. "I'm leaving, Brooke," he announced. With wide eyes, she stared at him for a moment before downing her drink and turning to pour another one. She didn't say a word. He figured that was because she wanted him to leave. "Let's face it, you've always thought of me as some common criminal, and Rachel was the only reason I lived here. So, since she's not here anymore, I won't be either. Thanks for putting up with me," with those last words, he turned and left the room.

Still standing in the same spot, Brooke heard him take his bags-he had only packed two-and leave the house. Then she downed her second drink, and moved to the couch. She curled up on it, and started bawling her eyes out. First she had lost Rachel, and now one of her kids. Honestly, no matter how horrible it sounded, she wasn't sure how she felt about Chris leaving and not coming back. He was right about Rachel being the main reason she had allowed him to stay. But, he was also one person that really linked her to Rachel, with looks, and personality, even though they weren't related really, they were so much alike.

The question was, though, whether or not his connection to Rachel was a good or bad thing. Honestly, it still hurt her to remember Rachel, and while she knew Rachel would want her to keep Christopher around, she wasn't sure if she'd be better off without the constant reminder of her lost wife. It wasn't like there weren't enough already. Did she really need another, if he was so willing to leave? He hadn't even given her a choice, really.

After a while, there was a knocking at the front door. Brooke didn't hear it over the sounds of her sobs. The person standing outside the front door heard her sobs and checked to see if the door was unlocked. It was, and Chase entered the house, finding her in the living room. He didn't know why she was crying, though he assumed it had to do with her wife's death, but he had never been able to stand by while Brooke Davis cried. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. Brooke put up little resistance before crying on his shoulder, allowing him to comfort her, because she desperately needed to be comforted.

A few minutes-or hours, neither of them were sure-later, Brooke finally stopped crying. She pulled back, but not quite out of Chase's embrace, and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, and he relinquished his hold with one arm so he could reach up and wipe away the tears from her cheeks. He had truly always loved Brooke, and even though Rachel was the love of her live, and his late wife was the love of his, Brooke had always held a place in his heart. Which was why he couldn't stand to see her in pain.

Of course, he couldn't confess all that to an emotionally unstable person, especially not after what had just happened, so he smiled at her. "I'm here to offer you comfort, Brooke. I know what it's like to lose your wife, and feel like there is just no point in living anymore, but there is. You have children, and friends, and you'll get through this, I promise you. And if you ever need anyone to lean on, I'll always let you cry on my shoulder," he told her. "Want to tell me what you were sobbing so hard about?" he prodded gently.

Looking away from him, Brooke pulled away and began straightening the things on her coffee table. She wasn't sure what to say. After what he'd just said, how could he tell her that she was questioning whether or not she should tell her son, Rachel's son, to stay? He just waited, though, and Brooke felt she had to at least say something. Maybe he would understand, at least a little bit. So she explained the situation with Christopher, and what she was feeling.

For a little while after she finished, Chase stayed silent, obviously trying to think of the right thing to say. He didn't shy away from her, though, or tell her she was a bad person, and she took that as a good sign. "Brooke, you trusted Rachel's judgment, right?" he finally asked, and she nodded, not understanding where this was headed. "Then trust that the boy she allowed into your house is a good person at heart, and just needs someone to love him. I can't tell you to ask the boy to come back, but ask yourself what Rachel would want you to do," he said.

As she considered this, Brooke was silent. "I just don't know, Chase. I just don't know. I've got to go pick up my kids, though. They were at Naley's for the day. You do know where Isabella is, right?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow, since their daughter was supposed to be with him for the weekend. He answered that she was at the other Scott house, which Brooke knew because she had talked to her blonde best friend already that day. "Well, I'm going to go pick her up, since it's Sunday evening. I'll see you later," she said as she stood, grabbing her purse and heading out the house, leaving him to lock up.

As Brooke got into her car, she instantly headed in the direction of the Leyton house, not even bothering to look back, even though Chase's words still echoed in her mind. She was confused, and she desperately wanted to talk to her best friend. Unfortunately, when she arrived, she noticed that Peyton's car wasn't there. Apparently, Lucas was staying home with the kids today. Oh well, she'd have to take what she could get. It's been a while since she'd talked to Lucas anyway, and maybe another male's point of view would be good, a male who wasn't her most recent ex-boyfriend, even though he wasn't really recent.

Rolling her eyes at her own confusing thoughts that she still hadn't managed to straighten out, she got out of the car, and headed inside. She walked into the living room, to find it empty of any blonde her age. "Where's your Mom or Dad?" she asked of the blonde teenager. Chilarie answered that her mom was out somewhere, and she couldn't care less where her dad was, in terms that weren't quite so nice. Instead of responding, Brooke patted the teen's head as she walked though the room, looking for the man that was her first serious boyfriend, but was now married to one of her best friends.

The broody blonde was found in his office. "I take it your eldest daughter is still mad at you," she said sympathetically as she entered the room, closing the door behind herself and taking a chair on the other side of the desk. He sarcastically asked why she thought that, not taking his attention from the screen of his laptop. "Don't be an ass, Lucas, I just ran into her in the living room. If you weren't so damn harsh about that boyfriend of hers, she wouldn't have any problem with taking the time to listen to you. She values your opinion, but she's stubborn, and so are you, so you both just have to listen to each other," she offered.

Finally, the blonde looked up at her, as if considering what she said, but then he turned back to his screen. He saved his work and shut the laptop. "What brings you to my office, Brooke? How are you doing? Isabella's here, you know," he informed her because he knew that it was Chase's weekend. It was clear that he was asking her about herself because he didn't want to talk about himself and his daughter anymore. He was just too damn stubborn to listen, and he wasn't going to be the first to crack. Unfortunately, his daughter was as stubborn as both of her parents and, therefore, didn't want to be the first to crack either. Brooke had no idea which would be the first to break, but she knew it would be a long time before either did.

Rolling her eyes at the her ex, Brooke decided not to dignify that with a response. She didn't want to say anything, really, because she was scared to bring up the subject of Rachel, but she had come over to talk, and that's what she intended to do. "Well, um, Chris just moved out today," she announced, and noticed Lucas's blue eyes widen in shock. "Yeah, I came home, and he had two bags by the door. I'm guessing he took everything Rachel gave him, and he said he was moving out, because she's gone, and I don't know whether or not to stop him or not. He was her kid, and he loved me so much, but every time I see him, he'll remind me of her," she rambled, stopping when Lucas sent her the look that he had always sent her when she started rambling.

For a moment, Lucas didn't say anything. He knew what Brooke wanted him to say, and he knew what he wanted to say. They were not the same thing. He was trying to figure out what he should say. Finally, he decided to just go with the truth. "Listen, Brooke, this is going to be hard to hear, but you've got to hear this. That young man may remind you of Rachel, but Rachel's gone now. Maybe you'd like something to remind you of her. It may hurt, but that is all beside the point. The point is, he lost the one person he could count on, and now he's going to need another. He may never admit it, but he needs you to fight for him, and maybe one day, you'll realize that you need him too," he said, in a placating voice, as he tried to gauge her reaction.

Sighing, Brooke didn't say anything for a while, but not because she was trying to decide what to say. She just didn't want to tell Lucas he was right. Chase had said pretty much the same thing, and she did trust Chase's judgment, but Lucas had been there for her a lot longer, and he knew her, and he knew how she'd feel about it later. She was just really missing her wife, and it still hurt to know that she'd probably be missing the redhead for the rest of her life. There was nothing she could do about it. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She knew what she could do. What she had to do.

Of course, she wouldn't tell Lucas that he was right. She just got up, stuck her tongue out at him like it wasn't completely immature, and headed out of the room. She went to Baley's room, and told Isabella it was time to go. She ran into her best friend on her way out of the house, but she didn't really need to talk anymore. She knew what Peyton would say. Peyton would agree with her husband, of course, because there was nothing else she could do. So she told Peyton they'd talk later, and she headed out of the house with her daughter.

While they drove to the other Scott house, so she could pick up her other children, Brooke realized she'd barely spoken with her daughter about Rachel's passing. She decided to bring up Christopher leaving first. "How would you feel about Chris moving out?" she asked, and from the look on Isabella's face, she could tell the answer. "Alright, Bella, I know what you're going to say. Everyone else has said it. We're the only family Chris has, and he needs us, no matter how much he reminds me of her, or how much that hurts. I get that, I do, and I'm going to go talk to him. Right now I'm talking to you, though. How are you doing?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow as she looked over at her daughter when she was stopped at a red light.

When the light was green, Isabella gestured for her mother to drive. "Listen, you're my biological mother, but Rachel, as great as she was to me, wasn't. Yes, I loved her, and yes, I will miss her, so much, but I miss her more like I'd miss Aunt Peyton, or Aunt Haley, if something happened to them. Well, maybe I miss her a little more, but that's not the point. The point is, she was the best thing Chris had. She was to him as you are to me," she used an analogy, because that was what she was currently studying in English. "You allowing him to move out is like you kicking him out of his only home. I honestly don't think you should do it, Mom. Chris is a great guy, and he may not have always shown it, but he's turned into the best older brother I could have asked for. Just think about it, before you start letting him sleep in empty houses again," she finished.

Since Brooke didn't know what to say to that, she stayed sile nt, and they were at the other Scott household soon enough anyway. Isabella ran in to get her siblings, and Brooke stayed in the car, just thinking about the words of all three people she had talked to. She was pretty sure she knew what she had to do, but she was going to make one stop first. After she dropped the kids off at their house, with a promise that she'd be back soon, she turned the car around and headed for her destination. Soon enough, she was at the cemetery, and she got out of the car, and headed for the right gravestone. She sat down on the grass and stared at the words written across the stone. "Hey, wifey, I miss you," her voice broke and there were already tears slipping from her eyes.

After wiping her tears, Brooke tried to figure out how to word what she wanted to say. "I'm sure you know what happened today, and I'm sure you already know what I'm thinking of doing. I know what you would want me to do, but it's hard, Rach. I miss you, and it hurts, so bad, to live without you. It's not easy, and I know, you always said the kids had to come before ourselves, but I don't know if I can put him before you. I just wish you could give me some kind of sign. Should I let him leave, or should I tell him to come back?" as soon as she finished her sentence, a there was a strike of lightning in the distance, disturbing a previously peaceful sky, and there was no thunder following, though it was close enough that there should have been.

That was her sign, and she knew it. Like Nathan and Haley's thing was rain storms, Brooke and Rachel's thing was lightning. She smiled, through her tears which were still silently falling, and she knew exactly what to do. She thanked her late wife, and got up again, kissing her fingers, then placing them on the stone. She went to her car, but she didn't go straight home. She had one more stop to make. She was pretty sure she knew where Chris would be. She found him right where she thought he would be, sleeping in a car in the auto shop classroom at the high school. He had confided in Rachel once, who, in turn, told Brooke, that before Peyton and Lucas's house was empty, he slept in the empty cars in the auto shop classroom.

It took him some time to notice her. When he did, he tried to look indifferent to her arrival. She could see the hope in his eyes, though, the eyes that were practically a duplicate of her wife's color, despite the lack of relation, and she knew she was doing the right thing. She kind of hated herself for questioning it. He was laying on top of the car, and Brooke climbed up and laid next to him. "Chris," she spoke his name because he had turned his head to firmly face the ceiling. He slowly turned his head to look at her, and she read the question shining in his eyes. "I'm here to take you home," she said.

For a moment, he didn't allow himself to get his hopes up, but she held his gaze and he began to believe she was serious. He still didn't say anything, though. "Listen, Christopher, you were kind of right earlier. I mean, she is gone, and it's going to be hard, but she had good judgment, and I may have taken way to long to realize it, but you belong in my home, and I know Rachel wouldn't have it any other way. I didn't give you much of a chance before, and I'm sorry for that, but I want to try again, because Rachel was a smart woman, and she deserves this, and so do you. So, what do you say? Will you come back home, please?" she asked, imploringly.

Silently, he nodded his head, and Brooke slid off the car, waiting for him to do the same thing. Then she wrapped him into a hug, surprising the both of them. "It'll be okay, Chris. It may take a while, but it'll be okay," she whispered. Then, just like it hadn't happened, she let him go, and walked to the car. He followed, because she didn't leave him any choice, and they drove back to the house. As they walked into the house, smelling the dinner that dinner that Isabella and Danielle had made, Christopher was really glad that she'd come to get him.

A/N: I know I usually update on Sunday, but I am updating today because I don't know if I'll have computer access tomorrow. So y'all get lucky this week. I know I said I wanted 15 reviews after this chapter, or I won't continue and I really think I'm going to hold to that. I have 8 right now, so I think you guys can make it. I would really like to start getting more reviews per chapter on this fic. I need feedback, or I might as well work on some other ideas that I have. Thanks so much to those of you who do review, though. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad that some people like it. Anyway, what do you think of the chapter? I focused on someone other than Chilarie in the hopes that it'll get me some reviews. I do have a good storyline for Chilarie, though, so if ya'll wanna read it, review, review, review! Lolz. If I get enough reviews, next chapter, there will be another confrontation between Chilarie and her father. It'll be good, and y'all don't want to miss it. I'm going to stop babbling now, and allow y'all to review. Thanks to those of you who do support me.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


	8. Ch7: Fighting and Making Out

After the first week of Chilarie being grounded, the day after Brooke came to the house, Peyton, after talking to Lucas first, went into Chilarie's room and told her she wasn't gounded anymore. Peyton said the teenager could see whomever she wanted, but her father would really prefer it if she didn't see Brett, and Peyton would like her family to get along. She hated that her daughter and husband were at such odds, when they normally had such a great relationship. Chilarie told her mom straight up that she wasn't going to stop seeing Brett.

Now, Chilarie wasn't really mad at her father anymore. It had been weeks; the initial anger had worn off. She wasn't really one to hold a grudge. That didn't mean she agreed with him though. She hadn't talked to him since the fight, and she didn't really plan on talking to him unless it was absolutely necessary. She was still seeing Brett, of course, and things were still good. She was pretty sure she loved him, a fact she was pretty sure she had come up with on their first date.

As she entered her house, she passed by a mirror hanging on the wall. She tucked a strand of her now-black, recently-permed-straight hair, eying her new, side-swept bangs. She knew her parents were going to flip when they saw it, but she didn't much care about that. She still talked to her mom, but she knew her mother didn't really care for the fact that her daughter was going against her husband's wishes. She was torn between two people she loved dearly.

There was noise coming from the direction of the back yard, so that was where she headed. She was sure that at least most of her family was home, seeing as Friday Night Dinner was starting in less than half an hour. She set her purse down on the kitchen counter, the keys to the Comet falling out of the purse, making a loud noise as they hit the granite countertop.

Sliding the sliding glass door open, she slipped outside, closing it behind her, looking around at her family members. All of her siblings were there, except Jason, who had yet to arrive. Her mother was sitting on the porch swing, watching the little ones splash around in the pool, while the older ones talked and shared gossip. Peyton was occassionally exchanging words with Lucas, who was at the grill. Apparantly, they were having BBQ for dinner.

Tugging her plaid, pleated miniskirt nervously, she stepped further away from the house, hoping to get someone's attention. Her mother was the first one to look at her. "Oh, my God, Chilarie Hope Scott. What the hell did you do to your head?" her voice rang out over the backyard, drawing everyone's attention to Chilarie, as silence fell, due to the fact that Peyton had stopped the music coming out of her iPod's speakers, and conversation had stopped as they all eyed their sister.

Lucas dropped the spatula, turning to look at his daughter. The rest of the Scott children all moved closer, eager to hear their father yell at his eldest daughter, since it so rarely happened. "Chilarie, please tell me that what you did isn't permanent. Please tell me that that's a wig, or you used non-permanent dye, please," he pleaded with his daughter, trying really hard not to lose his temper.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Chilarie continued to ignore her father, turning instead to her mother. "I dyed my hair, Mom, and got it permanently straightened, and I cut a few inches off the ends. It's my hair, and I paid for it," she said with a shrug, knowing she wouldn't get off with just that. Aiden sent her a wide-eyed look, knowing that she was about to get it. Even the youngest seemed to get what was coming to her, because they didn't run over to greet her like they normally did.

Gripping the bridge of his nose, Lucas was trying not to yell at his daughter's callousness. She hadn't done much of anything wrong for most of her life, and now she was acting out. He didn't understand where the rebelleous streak was coming from. Peyton could see her husband's temper rising, and she wasn't too happy with Chilarie herself, and her eldest daughter used to do no wrong in her eyes.

With a sigh, Peyton looked at the other kids gathered in the yard. She didn't like yelling at one kid in front of the others, and she was pretty sure this discussion could escalate to yelling, given Chilarie's attitude that had appeared lately. "Chilarie, kitchen, now. Aiden come watch the grill while your father and I talk to your sister please," she said, not looking at her son for acknowledgement.

Without unfolding her arms, Chilarie headed inside, knowing what was coming. Peyton followed Lucas after her, sending the rest of her kids a stern look, warning them to stay out of it or they'd get some of the anger as well. When she closed the sliding glass door she pulled the curtains, walking over to where her husband and eldest daughter stood. "What is going on with you lately?" she asked, trying to encourage her daughter to talk to her.

Sighing internally, Chilarie's shoulders slumped as she let the guard she'd put up against her parents recently down. She used to be able to talk to them, and she wished that she still could. "I just want to be my own person. I want to be able to choose what I do with my life. I wanted a change, so I dyed my hair. What teenager doesn't? I don't get why this is a big deal," she said as she took a seat on one of the barstools lining the island in the middle of their kitchen.

Peyton and Lucas each took a barstool opposite her. "This isn't like you, though. You've never done anything against our wishes before. Now you come home, after completely changing your look, without asking us, and you barely talk to us anymore. Does this have something to do with you dating that boy?" Peyton asked, just honestly curious if she was acting out because he influenced her.

With a scoff, Lucas looked at his wife. "Of course, it has everything to do with her dating Brett. She didn't change until she met him. Now she's pulling away from us, and doing crazy shit, and I don't like it. I told you he'd influence her in the wrong way. He's a bad kid, not to mention too old for her. It has to stop," he said, out of anger more than anything.

Tepmer flaring, Chilarie stood off her stool. "No, this is not because of Brett. I did this for me," she pointed to her hair. "At least he supports my decision, though. He accepts me for who I am," she was exasperated and the volume of her voice was rising. "He's changed. You said this isn't like me. Well, I haven't changed who I am. I still have good judgement. Maybe you're too quick to judge him," she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, grabbing her keys and purse on the way out.

Angry tears filled her eyes, but didn't fall. She hated yelling at her parents, but they didn't get it. She didn't understand why they didn't get it. They had had their own epic love story; why couldn't they see that she was living one herself. She ran past Jason, who had been about to open the front door, and got into her Comet, glad that she had parked on the street.

As his little sister drove away, Jason stepped cautiously into the house. He found his parents in the kitchen and could tell that they'd just fought with Chilarie, not that he could blame them. He'd seen her hair as she'd flown by. Jason liked Brett even less than Lucas. He had heard more rumors than their father, considering he was not an actual teacher, and closer to the students age.

Instead of risking getting on their parents bad side, Jason headed past them, going through the sliding glass doors to find his siblings in the back. He picked up his baby sister as she ran at him, still wet from the pool, though he didn't really mind. He gave the other younger ones sideways hugs as he worked his way to his twin at the grill. "So, what happened with Hope?" he asked as he reached Aiden, still holding Jalisa in his arms.

Running a hand through his messy auburn hair, Aiden wasn't sure how to explain. He was also protective of his sister, but he knew she knew how to think for herself, and she was a pretty good judge of character. He didn't agree with his twin and his father that Chilarie should be forbidden from dating the guy. That wasn't really the issue this time, though. "Well, she came home with her hair dyed, straightened and cut, our parents weren't happy," he gave the short version.

The little girl in his arms squirmed to get down. "Hope wanna look like Uncle Nate," Jalisa said, looking up at her brother with wide blue eyes before running off to jump into the pool again. Jason looked back to Aiden, ready to say something, but the sliding glass door opened again, and their parents stepped onto the back porch.

All was silent as the seven of them waited to see what their parents would do. Jason could tell that they were both going to pretend that it hadn't happened. He shared a look with his twin, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. It was the first time Friday Night dinner would not be enforced since they had returned home from their respective colleges.

Peyton forced a smile, while Lucas handed Aiden the plate he had brought out for the food before turning and heading back inside. "Chilarie had some things to do, and I'm getting a headache, so your dad and I are going to turn in early. You guys can do whatever you want," Peyton said before following after her husband.

Jason was shaking his head in wonder. "I miss all the good stuff. Maybe moving out was a bad idea," he muttered, just loud enough for only Aiden to hear as he began taking the burgers and hot dogs off the grill, putting them on the plate. Aiden just shook his head, partly in agreement with his brother. A lot had happened since they had both moved out, and sometimes they were the last to hear things.

Around the yard, the others had been sent into action at the door closing behind their parents. Baley was instantly on her cell, talking to her cousin and best friend about what had happened. Keeton and Keagan were sharing one of those looks that only twins share. Keith had just pushed Jalisa in the pool before cannon-balling in himself.

Aiden noticed his phone vibrating in his pocket just as he shut the grill so the coals could burn out. He took the platter in the kitchen, announcing that everyone could eat when they wanted. After setting the platter on the counter and moving out of the way so six of his siblings could get at the food, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, moving into the living room when he noticed who the text was from.

The words flashed across the screen of his iPhone: 'How are the 'rents?' He flipped his phone to the side and typed out a quick reply, telling her that they had gone to bed. Jason came into the room with a plate of food and sat down on the chair opposite his brother. "Who are you texting?" he asked curiously.

Unsure of why he was lying, Aiden opened his mouth, the first thing he could think of coming out of it. "Vanessa," he answered. Jason just shrugged, not really interested, in response. Aiden hadn't wanted to tell his twin that he was texting their sister, because he knew Jason would want to talk to her. To make up for the lie, Aiden texted his girlfriend, inviting her to come over, since he now had a free Friday night looming before him.

~*~

Chilarie was sitting in the car when she recieved a text back from her brother. She felt bad for ditching her family for the evening, but she couldn't be around her parents any longer, not when they were being so controlling. Yeah, she should have talked to them before changing her hair, but they should have talked to her before banning her from seeing Brett. If they had just talked to her rationally first, she wouldn't have overreacted.

When she had left the house, she drove around for a while, but the old Comet had ended up breaking down on her. Wishing she could call her dad, whom she usually called when her car broke down, she dialed Brett's number instead, knowing he'd come through for her. It was while she was waiting for him to pick her up that she'd texted Aiden, knowing he wouldn't judge her as harshly as anyone else.

A wave of relief washed over her when the tow truck appeared, just moments before Bretts Jeep. She grabbed her purse from the Comet, which was being hooked up to the tow truck, and walked up to her boyfriend's car, only realizing then that him picking her up meant him seeing her hair that much sooner. She had been confident that Brett would like it earlier, but as she approached his vehicle, she began to have her doubts.

Walking towards him as he got out of the car, she noticed his eyes on her hair. He didn't show any emotion as she reached him and she felt nervous butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. "Is this why you're not at your house with your family?" he asked, fingering a lock of her hair, the smirk on his face not really telling her anything.

Shrugging, she bit her lip, looking down at the ground. She murmured an almost incomprehensible answer in the affirmative. He could tell that she was wondering what he thought, but he wanted to get the tow truck guy out of the way first. He stepped past his girlfriend and shared some words with the guy, who had hooked up the Comet and was ready to leave.

As the tow truck pulled Chilarie's beloved Comet away, Brett turned to face the petite blonde girl who was no longer blonde. She was still biting her lip, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket as she looked down at her shuffling feet. He took a step closer and reached out, lifting her chin so he could look into her blue-green eyes. "I love the hair, Little Scott. You're gorgeous no matter what your hair looks like," he informed her.

The blush rose in her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly. She wasn't very good at taking compliments, a trait she'd gotten from her mother. She mumbled thank you loud enough for him to hear, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why'd you do it, though?" he questioned, holding her gaze with a curious look in his eyes.

With a sigh, she moved her gaze away from his. "I guess I just needed a change. I've dressed the same, and looked the same my whole life. I just want to try different things, be a different person. My whole life, I've never been someone who really takes chances, or anything. I mean, yeah, I have the attitude thing, but that's about as rebellious as I've gotten. I don't even fight with my parents," she realized her voice was rising in volume and she cut herself off.

He was only mildly surprised by her outburst, but he knew she wasn't finished yet. "Ever since we started going out I've been, just, flooded with all these new emotions, and I'm beginning to think that I want to be more aggressive, live a little more," her voice was softer now, and she wished she hadn't cut her bangs, because she'd really like some hair to hide behind. "I guess what I'm saying is, I've fallen for you, hard, and it's kind of scary, but I don't want to run from it," she admitted softly.

During her speech she had pulled away from him somewhat, so she wasn't facing him anymore, though her back wasn't exactly to him either. He could see her profile and he knew that despite the fact that she'd said she didn't want to run from it, she was wishing that she could. "Are you saying you love me?" he asked, because they hadn't said it yet.

Knowing she had to face him sometime, she nodded, turning to look into his eyes. "Yes, Brett Michael Casey. I love you. You don't have to say it back, and I kind of didn't mean to admit it now, but I've been meaning to say it for a while. I know people think we won't work, and I know that it might be a little crazy, especially since my dad's so against us, but I do. I love you," she said, the words rolling off of her tongue with more ease.

Somewhere inside him, he felt a wave of relief. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one feeling like this. He'd never experienced this before, the needing to be with someone, literally aching for their presence, even though she took his breath away when he saw her, and sped up his heart with just a simple touch. "I love you, too" he quickly said, before she could continue rambling.

Then, before she could question anything, his lips had crashed onto hers. Feeling elation and confusion all at once, that didn't stop her from kissing him back with all she had. When air became a necessity, he pulled away, taking her hand and placing it on his chest, above his heart, which, she could feel, was pounding. "This is what you do to me, everytime we touch. As long as these are the side effects, I don't care who doesn't like it," he said, bringing his lips to hers again.

A grin covered her face when she pulled away for air a second time. "I've only ever had one serious boyfriend, and he never made me feel this way. I don't know if this will last twenty years from now, or even twenty days, but I want to find out. I know your going away to college soon, and there will probably be tons of pretty college girls surrounding you, but I want to try anyway, because I don't want to give up on this," she said.

With an idiotically happy grin of his own, he shook his head, reaching up to lightly caress her face. "That's not true, you know?" she kinked her eyebrows in an adorably confused way. "None of them will be as unbelievably breathtaking as you," he said, lightly kissing her nose. She rolled her eyes as he walked them over to his car, sitting her on the hood so that he wouldn't have to bend down, and she wouldn't have to stand on her tiptoes.

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he cut her off. "You really don't know how beautiful you are, do you?" he asked, completely serious. She opened her mouth to say some incredulous, off-hand remark, but the look in his eyes, like he really believed it, made her turn her head and bury her face in his shoulder to hide her blush instead. "You are," he assured her, his hands at her waist, underneath her jacket, but above her clothes, his thumbs lightly caressing the thin strip of skin that had appeared when her black ribbed tank top had risen.

Shivers went up and down her spine at his feather-light touch. She took in a deep breath, choosing to ignore that statement completely as she snaked her arms around his neck and intertwined her fingers at the nape of his neck. She leaned back enough so she could look up at his face. "Okay, that's a nice sentiment, but even a line as smooth as that isn't going to get you in my pants," she teased, trying to change the subject.

His eyes grew serious, even if he knew she was just teasing. "I'm not about that. At least, not with you. I admit, I have gotten around, quite a bit, but I respect that you want to wait, and I respect you. I know a lot of people wouldn't believe that, coming from me, and I wouldn't have believed it either, before I met you, but you changed me, and I'm really glad you did," he said.

Taking a deep breath, she knew he meant it, but she didn't want anymore deep conversation. So she did the only thing she could think of to shut him up. She kissed him, a lot. They spent the next couple of hours at that riverbend, with her sitting on his Jeep and him standing in front of it, making out like the teenagers they were.

A/N: This chapter is long, and I hope y'all like it, because it'll be my last for a while. I'm putting this story on hiatus because, though I don't lack ideas, I lack reviewers, who give me inspiration. In addition to that, my life is about to get really busy right now. I'm going through a few transition periods, and I'm just not going to have a lot of time to write, and I wouldn't want to leave y'all waiting for a update every week. When I get more time to write again, I will gladly continue working on this story, if I still have supporters who want to read it. Thanks to those who have reviewed, and put me on alert, and I hope you continue to read and review when I pick this back up again.

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything from One Tree Hill.


	9. Ch8: Graduation in Tree Hill

Graduation day at Tree Hill High came too quickly, as far as Chilarie was concerned. She just wanted more time with Brett before he left. He was only going to Duke, but still. He'd be there, and she'd be in Tree Hill, and it wouldn't be the same. She loved him, so much, and after they'd both said the words, she couldn't tell him enough, and she was just glad he said it back, every single time. It had been nearly two months since the initial fight with her father, and things still weren't resolved. No one in her family really realized how much she loved him, or how much he loved her. Her friends, aside from Nicci, barely spoke to her anymore, except for the people that weren't part of her family, and most of them were. It didn't matter too much, because she spent more time with Brett, but it hurt.

The morning of graduation, Chilarie was sitting at her kitchen table, writing in her notebook, because she was waiting for Brett to pick her up. The rest of her family had left already, because they were going to Brooke's house first, to support Christopher, but she had said she would ride with her boyfriend, because she was already dreading the party after graduation, when her whole family would be around. She had made a promise to herself that she would go, so she could work things out, because, honestly, she missed everyone, James most of all. He hadn't spoken to her at all since he'd found out she was dating Brett, and she missed her best friend. She had a different bond with James than Nicci, and she would really like his support.

As she heard a honk outside, her phone started ringing, and she dropped the pen to grab her phone as she stood, hurrying to the front door because she knew it was her boyfriend. She didn't want to make him late for his own graduation. She grabbed her purse as she passed where it was laying on the little table in the foyer, stopping only to glance at her appearence in the mirror. She had curled her black hair in curls that weren't quite waves, but they were looser than she was used to. Her make-up consisted of cover-up, mascara, and a light pink lip gloss. She was wearing a purple halter top with her favorite jeans and high-heeled boots, which came up to her mid-calf, beneath her pant leg, so she dressed up a little, but not too much.

After making sure the door was locked behind herself, Chilarie ran to the car, and opened the passenger side door, pulling herself up into the Jeep and closing the door behind herself. Before she could do anything else, he had pulled her into a kiss. She was smiling when he pulled away, and he had a bit of a smirk on his face, but the look in his eyes spoke more than the smirk. She put her seatbelt on as he pulled away from her house. He took her hand as he drove and she laced her fingers in his, reaching over to wipe her lip gloss off of his lips. "I still can't believe you're graduating. Next year's going to suck without you," she said, tears already welling in her eyes at the thought.

Normally, Chilarie wasn't one who cried over things. Aside from the crying she did over Rachel, the last time she cried was when she broke her leg when she was twelve. He knew that, and they were both a bit surprised by the tears that threatened to fall. He reached up, softly caressing her cheek as they were sitting at a red light not to far from the school. "Hey, it's okay. Nothing will change, not between us. I love you, Chilarie, and nothing is going to change that, no matter how far apart we are. I promise you that," he said, dropping his hand to hold hers again as he had to drive. His words meant a lot to her, and by the time they reached the school, she had stopped the tears. "Thats right, save the crying for another time. This isn't goodbye. There will never be a goodbye. Not with us," he promised.

The car was already parked, and she got out, letting him follow her motions. She walked around to the other side, and reached up so she could wrap her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her level for a passionate kiss. "You're too good to me you know. I love you, too, Hot Shot," she said, giving him no room to protest her first statement as she laced their fingers together, leading him to where they had to part ways. She gave him another brief kiss, because they were in front of his classmates. "I'll see you on the other side," she said, referring to when he would pass across the stage, and officially be a high school graduate.

The petite teenager joined her family in the stands, sitting down next to Aiden and Vanessa, talking with the two of them until the ceremony started. Then she focused on the graduates, waving at Brett when he looked up at her in the bleachers. She clapped the loudest out of anyone in the stadium when Brett walked across the stage, and she took tons of pictures of the whole thing, because she wanted to remember the day forever, and she was fairly sure Brett had no one else there for him. She didn't notice that about fifteen people away, and a few rows above her, Chase and his two children were clapping loudly for Brett as well.

When Christopher walked the stage she clapped, and took pictures, but not as much as for Brett. Then the ceremony was over, and she moved to the end of the bleachers before the hats were thrown. As soon as the graduates threw up their hats, she ran into the crowd of blue robes and flying hats, headed straight for Brett's waiting arms. She leaped into a hug and he caught her, spinning her around as she captured his lips with hers. "Congratulations, Hot Shot. I'm so proud of you," she said before kissing him again as he set her on the ground.

A little while later the couple was entering Chilarie's house, because it was the biggest, so Lucas and Peyton were hosting the party, because it wasn't just for Christopher, it was also for Baley and Lily, who had just graduated junior high. Grasping onto his hand, Chilarie led him through the house, toward the backyard. They were a little late, because Brett had wanted to run home and change, and Chilarie had taken time at the school to take pictures, but that only meant that everyone else would be there already. She slid open the sliding glass door, and stepped out, letting Brett follow her before closing the door behind her.

Everyone glanced up at the door opening, Chilarie noted as she slid her gaze among all the faces. James was there, with his girlfriend, Kate. Baley, Isabella, Bethany and Nicci were standing together. Christopher was standing with Jessica, who happened to be Bethany's twin, and his girlfriend, yet no one said anything about the age difference there. Standing next to Christopher was Danielle, with her boyfriend Rick, and those four were standing next to James and Kate. Chilarie noticed that Lily hadn't brought her boyfriend, probably because she didn't want her older brother to know that she was dating.

The little kids were everywhere. Jason was helping Keeton, Keith and Robert, get better at basketball, while Jackson and Jalisa watched in adoration. Aiden and his girlfriend Vanessa were watching Johnathan play with some cars on the porch, while Bryan sat with him and tried to play, but was often swatted away. Keagan, Anna andJennifer were sitting on the edge of the pool with their feet in it as they talked, and Sophia, Natalia and Katherine swam nearby, trying to be a part of their conversation. The adults also mingled around, watching the kids, and trying to make sure things ran smoothly. Nathan, Lucas, and Jake were watching the grill, and talking about their women. Andy and Chase were in a discussion about something, while Karen, Brooke, Peyton and Haley were nearby, talking about something else.

As soon as Katherine saw Brett, she scurried out of the pool, running over to him. She tried to carefully hug him, but he pulled her into a real hug as she congratulated him. Chilarie watched curiously as the two conversed, wondering where the connection was. It was obvious that the young brunette adored him. It wasn't until he sent Katherine on her way that Brett noticed Chilarie's look. "She's my half sister. I told you I have a half sister and brother. Chase is my step-father," he explained. She thought about it, and nodded, before looking out across the yard again.

After a few moments of hesitation, Chilarie led Brett over to Nicci, who stepped away from Baley, Isabella and Bethany to meet them. The three of them started talking. Brett had his arm wrapped around Chilarie's shoulders, and she had her arm around his waist, and they often shared adoring looks, though Chilarie tried to keep the kissing to a minimum, because she knew Nicci was wishing she had a boyfriend she could physically hang out with, instead of just talking to him on the internet.

Eventually, they were interrupted by Jalisa running up to her, noticing her oldest sister for the first time. Chilarie pulled away from Brett to catch the little brunette in her arms. "Hey, Munchkin, how are you doing?" she asked, mussing her sisters brown curls, causing Jalisa to move her head away from her sister's hand. Chilarie had to quickly move her arm around Jalisa's back, so she wouldn't drop her sister. After only a few moments of being held, Jalisa squirmed to be put down, then she looked up at her sister with her big blue eyes, pointed up at Brett, and asked who he was.

Glancing sideways at her boyfriend, she knelt down to be eye level with her sister. "That's Brett," she gestured over her shoulder. Before the little girl could continue, Chilarie continued. "He's my boyfriend and can I tell you a secret?" she asked, to kind of distract her sister from the guy next to her. Jalisa's eyes widened and she nodded. Chilarie leaned closer to the girl, lowering her voice to a stage whisper, that anyone in the area could hear, though they pretended not to. "I love him, very much, and one day, I hope we'll be married like mommy and daddy," she confided in her little sister. She tried not to look over at Brett, because it wasn't exactly like they'd talked about marriage before.

When she straightened, as her sister bounded away, she realized that she hadn't been lying. She really did want to be married to him one day. Not one day soon, mind you, she was only sixteen, not quite yet a junior in high school. Someday, though, she would definately like to be married to the guy next to her, because she was sure she would never love anyone as much as she loved him. She hoped he felt the same way, but she was worried he didn't. So she avoided his gaze as she straightened, glancing over at Nicci. Her best friend looked a little shocked, not that she could blame her. She also noticed that James was staring at her, but she couldn't read the look on his face.

Instead of acknowledging it, she sent Nicci a look that said they'd talk later. Right now she just wanted to pretend she hadn't told practically her whole family that she wanted to get married. It was true, but she felt it was something she should have talked about with Brett first. The only reason she hadn't brought it up with Brett was because she was too afraid to. She glanced over her shoulder, while avoiding Brett's gaze, to see if her dad had heard the words, and she saw his back disappearing into the house. Her mother soon followed.

Wincing, Chilarie turned back to Brett and Nicci, wrapping her arm around his waist again and starting up a conversation about something else. She was surprised into silence a few seconds later, when James touched Kate's arm, and led her away from Chris, Jessica, Danielle and Rick, and over to Chilarie, Brett and Nicci. He nodded to Brett and Nicci, and sent Chilarie a look that let her know he was sorry. She wasn't going to just forgive him like that, but it was a step in the right direction, and a step she was glad he'd taken.

The five of them carried on a conversation for a while, before Chilarie realized that her parents had been inside for a long time. She wondered what was taking them so long to come back outside. She halted the conversation, and began heading back inside to look for them, because she was pretty sure they'd want to talk to her about what she said. She had just reached the porch when the two blondes came back outside, Peyton carrying Chilarie's notebook, opened not to the page she'd been writing on today, but on another page. Her eyes widened and she reached for the book.

Both Lucas and Peyton had unreadable looks on their faces as Peyton held it out of her daughter's grasp. She held the book so that Chilarie could see the exact page she was on. On the page were lyrics, to a song Chilarie had writen. The title at the top read, 'I'd Lie.' "Why didn't you tell me you write songs? This book is practically full of them," Peyton spoke. She looked down at the page. "When did you write this? " she asked, moving it out of the way as Chilarie tried to reach for it again, glancing at Brett, making it obvious that it was about him. "Answer the question," Peyton demanded, sending her daughter a look to let her daughter know that there was no room for arguement.

With a sign, Chilarie returned her hands to her side. "About a week after I started hanging out with him. That was more than three months ago, almost four," she answered, silently sending her mom a look that asked if she could have the book back yet. Lucas was standing silently at his wife's side. Peyton shook her head slightly, turning to another page. She sent Chilarie a look that said she wanted the same question answered about this song. The title was 'Crazy Girls.' "That one I wrote two months ago, during that week when I was grounded," she answered with a sigh, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she waited for the humiliation to end. Peyton flipped to another page. The title read, 'Fearless.' "Right after prom," she answered, with an air of impatience. One more page flipping. The top of the page read 'Beautiful Eyes.' "Last week," she answered one last time.

Flipping the book closed, Peyton held it out toward her daughter. Chilarie grabbed for it, but she moved it out of the way once more, meeting her daughter's gaze. "Hey, these are good. There's a lot of emotion behind these, and I didn't know that was what you were writing at all. I'm not just talking about the ones since that boy. The ones before that were amazing too. You've got some talent, Chilarie, and you should do something about it. I can get you a record deal at Red Bedroom, or maybe, if you don't like to sing, I can find someone who will sing your songs. Either way, you should get them out there," she said confidently. She was proud of her daughter's talent.

Instead of being pleased, Chilarie was pissed about her mom, and probably her father too, going through her notebook. She grabbed it too fast for Peyton to move it out of the way. "Maybe I don't want to get them out there. Maybe there's a reason I don't show them to anyone. These are my songs, and they're private. At least, they used to be, until you guys thought it was okay to look through my stuff," she said before pushing past her parents with her notebook tucked under her arm, not looking back as she stormed out of the house, driving away in her Comet.

There was a tense moment of silence in the back yard, as every one listened to the sound of the Comet pulling away, and then their eyes darted from Brett, to Peyton and Lucas, watching all three of them for some kind of reaction. Brett was the first one to move, and he walked forward, until he was standing right in front of his girlfriend's parents. "With all due respect, Coach and Mrs Scott, I love your daughter, more than I would ever have imagined possible. I know that my past isn't the best," there was a snort, though, much later, no one would ever admit where it came from. Brett ignored it, "but she changed me. I know that no one but us seems to think we're going to last, but I want you to know I'm going to prove everyone wrong, becuase she's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't intend on letting her go," he said before nodding at them and then walking past them, though the house.

After his Jeep pulled away, everyone continued to watch Lucas and Peyton, waiting for their reactions. Lucas, when he recovered from the shock, turned and walked into the house without a word to anyone. Peyton glanced nervously back at her husband, then looked back at her guests, forcing a smile. "Y'all feel free to stay as long as you want," she said, then followed Lucas, leaving everyone to break out in whispers as she closed the sliding glass door behind herself.

After a quick word with Haley and Nathan, Brooke followed her two blonde friends into the house. She was looking for Peyton, but found both of them, in the living room, arguing about, well, Brett, it sounded like. "I still don't think he deserves her, Peyt. I mean, sure, he says all of these things, but he said that to us, and he's done nothing to prove it to her. Where is his romantic gesture, that proves he actually deserves my daughter? Any idiot can say something like that in front of everyone. It takes more than that to prove to me that they should date my daughter," Lucas said emphatically.

Before Peyton could retort, Brooke stepped into the room, making her presence known. "Really, Lucas, announcing his love for your daughter in front of all her family and friends isn't good enough for you? He has to do something more? In caseyou don't remember, Lucas, neither of your proposals to Peyton were very romantic, and the second one was right before she went to the hospital. You didn't declare your love for her in front of all your family and friends, not when you asked for her hand in marriage, and you definately didn't declare your love for her before them after only a few months of dating her. It's easy to tell that boy loves your daughter, no matter what his past is, because he looks at her the same way you look at Peyton," she said, getting annoyed at her friend's idiocy. She knew the power and gift love was, and Lucas was being stupid enough to try to stop it.

With a smile towards her friend, Peyton silently sent her sympathies. She knew that Brooke was particularly passionate this because she had so recently lost Rachel, and she was glad she had someone on her side. "Thank you, Brooke. That's only what I've been trying to tell him. Maybe he'll listen to you," she said, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. Lucas only ran his hand through his hair and turned away from the women. He understood where they were coming from; he was just really reluctant to let his daughter date Brett, because that would mean she was growing up, and he had to let her go. The last boyfriend she had had been her age, and she had still be young and innocent. Brett seemed to be pulling his daughter away, and he didn't want to lose her.

The sliding glass door opened again, and then shut, and the three adults heard footsteps approaching. Soon Peyton and Lucas's oldest were in the room, and they walked past Brooke, up to their parents. "Dad, you really can't be thinking of still banning her from seeing him, right? I mean, that speech he made? It was obvious he meant it. And she's been so happy, lately. I've never seen her this blissed out all the time. After what happened today, you have to talk to her, tell her she can date him, or she's just going to keep pulling away from you guys, because she's going to go after what she wants," Aiden said. He had taken a few child psychology courses, because he had wanted a fall-back career, in case working at his mother's label didn't work out, and he actually liked working with little kids.

Even Jason seemed was convinced, and he'd been dead set against his little sister going out with Brett. Lucas looked to him to see what his opinion was. "Dad, I have to admit, I've never seen him care so much about something, not even basketball. And Aiden is kind of right. I've never seen Hope like this either. I'm sorry, Dad, but I really think you should reconsider your stand on this before you lose her," he said with a shrug. Lucas turned away from all four of them, not really knowing what to say.

A/N: I'm back! I promised myself that I would start posting again when I went back to school, and I start going to school again on Monday, so here's my update. What do y'all think. Oh, and I've been thinking about something someone said to me, and Brett and Chilarie are kind of like Nathan and Haley, but not the Nathan and Haley from this world, the Nathan and Haley from the show. Since this world I have created is completely AU, I figured it would be okay to have some similarities. Anyway, tell me what y'all think about this chapter. I still have tons of ideas for this fic, so it has the potential of continuing for a long time. Oh, and I'm thinking of moving my updates to Fridays, instead of Sundays. We'll have to see what's going on next week, and when I can post. Please review, I need to know what you guys are thinking, if anyone is still reading. It's been more than two months since I've updated. So, with that, I'll end this horribly long A/N, if y'all review.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't be writing on fanfiction.


	10. Ch9: Shoulda Used Red

A few hours after Chilarie had initially left the house, she was back at home, having climbed the tree to get there, so she didn't have to face anyone. Most of the cars were gone, so she figured most of the guests had left, but that wasn't what she cared about. She had wanted to avoid talking to her parents. Really, she had kind of wished that Aiden would still be there, but his car was gone too. So she had parked her car away from the house, and snuck around the side, climbing the tree and going in through her window, glad that she had left it open.

Once she had made it in the house, she had stowed her notebook away, in between her mattress and boxspring, and then climbed up onto the roof, using her terrace. She had kind of slipped, and made a pretty loud thumping noise. She had expected then that someone would go outside, and spot her, but no one had, thankfully. Her phone was ringing, quite a bit, but she couldn't bring herself to answer it. She knew that most of the time it would be her parents, or Brett. While she desperately wanted to talk to Brett, she felt horrible for leaving him alone at her house, not to mention mortified about the scene before she left. She was kind of scared to hear what he had to say.

The terrace door opened, and a figure slipped out of it, but Chilarie didn't notice, really, as she was focusing on the clouds, and her phone was ringing at the time. So, consequently, she didn't see her mom until Peyton was climbing onto the roof next to her. She didn't know her mom was in good enough shape to climb onto the roof, though she'd never tell her that to her face. She tried to hide the fact that she was kind of glad it was her mom, and not her dad. Peyton stayed silent for a moment before just delving right into the subject at hand. "You know, he's just afraid of losing his little girl. He doesn't want to let you see him, because he knows you're falling in love, and he just wants you to stay his little girl forever," she broke Chilarie's peaceful silence.

Taking a moment to consider this, she didn't really know what to say. She could say the obvious, 'He's not going to lose me,' but she wasn't really sure that was entirely true. Well, she at least knew that she was always going to need her dad-if he supported her-but she needed to grow up sometime. Besides, she felt like she didn't need to say anything, because her mom already knew. She was also pretty sure that her mom would tell her that she should be telling her father, and, really, Chilarie knew that was right. She needed to sit down and have a father/daughter talk with her dad, because it had been far too long since they'd had some bonding time.

When her cell phone rang, breaking the silence, she decided now was the time to answer it. "Hi," she said, though she knew it was Brett, and there were many other things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to hear his voice first, though. She sat up when she heard his response. "Why? What's on the water tower?" she asked, though she was already squinting in the distance. "Oh, my God," she said when she read the words. She was touched, really. "Yeah, I'm at home," she said, answering his question. Then the line clicked off, and she shut her phone. "Oh, my God," she repeated her earlier sentiment, mainly to herself, as her gaze remained stuck on the water tower.

Sitting up, Peyton followed her gaze, because she had heard the words 'water tower,' she knew exactly where to look. "Oh, my God," she repeated her daughter's amazement. The water tower in Tree Hill was painted navy blue, in honor of the Tree Hill Ravens. It was halfway across town, but still noticable from Chilarie's house, especially on the roof. Now painted on it, visible only if sought it out, was a ten foot heart, painted in green. Painted in that heart were the words, 'Brett Loves Chilarie.' The letters were three foot high, and painted in a blue that was so light, it was practically grey. "He should have used red," was the next thing that came out of Peyton's mouth.

Shaking her head, Chilarie just didn't agree, because she knew exactly why he had picked those colors. Green, which was his favorite color, was for her eyes, and the greyish, which was her favorite color, was for his eyes. She beamed as she mouthed the words, then looked down as she heard a car pull up. As he got out, she was already climbing off the roof, and she had already forgotton all about her mom, up on the roof. She also forgot that she was supposed to be avoiding her dad as she ran through though house, making all kinds of noise. She made it outside, and flew right off the porch, into his arms. "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God! I can't believe you would do that," she squealed, as he picked her up off the ground, twirling her around, and she planted a kiss on his lips.

A few seconds after that, just in time to see the end of the kiss, Lucas stepped outside, looking to the water tower, like his wife had told him. Chilarie looked over to see if she could decipher some understanding, or maybe happiness for his daughter, but his face was pretty emotionless. She put her feet on the ground and turned her whole body to face her father, though she kept her arm around Brett's waist, and his arm was draped across her shoulders. "He should have used red," her father said finally, with little emotion, before turning to walk back into the house.

Blowing out a sigh, Chilarie turned back to her boyfriend. "I love it," she said, with emphasis on the 'I'. "And I love you, and that's what matters," she said, giving him another lingering kiss. When she broke away, she bit her lip, looking back to the house. "I really have to go fix things with my dad, though. This can't go on any longer. Even though I'd never admit it to anyone else, I miss him. Pick me up tomorrow, though, because you so deserve a date for that," she said, gesturing toward the water tower.

Noticing the look of sadness that he had been seeing ever since the whole fight with her dad had started, he smirked at her, his fingers tickling her stomach. "Are you saying that we wouldn't go out tomorrow if I hadn't done that?" he teased as he saw the sadness get replaced by joy as she tried to break away from his grasp. She just stuck her tongue out at him, still trying to squirm away. "Gosh, Little Scott, if I didn't know any better, I would say you just liked me for my romantic gestures," he continued to tease and tickle. She fell to the lawn and was still trying to squirm away, but he had done what he had intended, which was get rid of the sadness in her eyes, so he stopped tickling.

For a moment she was just trying to stop the giggles, and when they stopped, she held her hand out so he would help her up. He grasped her hand and barely had to pull before she was on her feet. "You're very lucky I love you, that's all I have to say," she said, standing on her tiptoes and giving him one last kiss. "Call me tomorrow," she commanded, then turned and headed toward the house. She took a deep breath before entering, and then leaning against the door when she closed it, waiting to hear him pull away.

As soon as she worked up the courage, Chilarie walked through the house, finally locating her father in his study. She entered slowly and closed the door behind her, moving to sit on the chair opposite her father. Lucas finished typing and moved his eyes until they landed on her. The look of surprise on his face was quickly replaced by one of apology. He stayed silent, though, because she had sought him out, and she was the one who hadn't spoken to him in weeks. He wanted to know what she was going to say.

Taking a deep breath, Chilarie finally swallowed her pride. "I may not agree with your opinion of Brett, but I still love you, and I still need my dad. I just love him, too. I know that he's just graduated, and he's going to college, but I can't help it. I've fallen hard and fast, and, yeah, it's made me grow up, but I'm still your little girl, and I always will be. I wouldn't have it any other way, because you've always been there for me, and I've always looked up to you, and because you're my daddy," she broke off, biting on her bottom lip.

Noticing Chilarie's sniffle, which she tried to hide, Lucas stood and opened his arms, and she smiled as she jumped up too, walking around the desk to hug him. He still had to apologise too, of course. "I'm sorry, too, baby girl. I love you and I know you love him, so I'm going to respect that. All the regular rules are in effect, but you can see him whenever you want to. I was just acting like a jackass, and I overreacted. I really did see a change in him those last few weeks of basketball practice. As long as he's making you happy, I don't have to kill him," he said, causing them both to chuckle, though he was only half-joking and they both knew it.

Neither of them had noticed Peyton silently slipping the door open. "Aw, that's so sweet," she said, drawing their attention. "That does not get you out of the conversation we're going to have about your songwriting ability," she said, walking into the room and taking a seat on the couch Lucas had in his office. Chilarie took the seat next to her mom with a sigh, and Lucas sat on her other side. "Even if I was wrong by reading your private stuff, I think you have talent. Your songs are amazing," she started.

Accepting the apology, Chilarie bit on her lip as she considered what her mother was telling her. She knew that with the label, Peyton could get her a record deal, or, if she didn't want to do that, her mom could get someone else to sing her words. She just wasn't sure what she wanted to do. "I just don't know, Mom. I'd have to think about it. I don't know if I want my private thoughts out there for the whole world to hear if they're sung by someone else, and I don't think I want to be a singer either. I'll think about it, though, okay?" she offered.

Peyton wrapped an arm around her daughters shoulders and squeezed. "That's all that I can ask for, baby," she said and Chilarie stood, deciding it was time to see what everyone else had made of today. She was going to call her best friend first to see what had happened when she left. She was halfway to the door when she turned back. She kissed both of her parents on the cheek and smiled at them before she left the office, knowing they were going to talk about her now. She closed the door behind herself in case they started a make-out session, as they were apt to do.

Plopping onto her bed a few minutes later, with her terrace doors open so she could let a breeze in, and so she could easily see the water tower, Chilarie began dialing Nicci's number. "Hey, best friend. I was just calling to see what happened after I left the house. Give me a call back when you get this," she said to Nicci's voicemail. After a moment's hesitation, Chilarie dialed another number. "Hey, how's it going?" she asked, forcing a casual tone when the person on the other end picked up the phone.

There was a beat of silence, and Chilarie knew it wasn't a shocked silence. He always checked his Caller ID before picking up. She wondered if that meant he was going to hang up on her. Then she heard the clearing of a throat. "Hey, Hope, not a lot. I'm just chilling at the Rivercourt right now. I've seen the water tower. You want to come by and we can talk?" James asked, and Chilarie knew that meant he wanted to apologise to her in person. She answered in the affirmative, and then hung up the phone, getting up and grabbing her keys as she left the house.

When James saw the Comet pull up he tossed the basketball one last time, running to get it after it had gone through as she got out of her car. When he was headed back towards her, she held out her hands for him to toss her the ball after pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. He threw the ball to her, and they instantly started playing a one-on-one game, much like they used to. They played for about an hour before James tucked the ball under his arm and went to sit on the bleachers. "You ever wonder what would have happened if you had never met Brett that day?" he broke the silence as she sat next to him.

For a moment, Chilarie actually tried to picture it. She flashed back to that day at this very place, and tried to imagine it going differently. Then she tried to picture her life since then without Brett. She honestly couldn't. Even more so, she didn't want to. "I don't, and I don't really want to," she answered his question honestly. His gaze was far away, and Chilarie knew that even though they couldn't see the water tower through the trees and such, that was what he was looking towards. "That's the reason, actually," she gestured in the direction of his gaze.

Cocking an eyebrow, James turned his head to look at her, silently asking what she meant. She took a deep breath before explaining herself. "Before that day, I wouldn't ever have dreamed of even talking to Brett. He didn't know who I was, and I only knew him as the psychotic jackass on your basketball team," she held back a chuckle as she remembered the way things were. "I mean, it was you, me and Nicci against the world, and since you joined the team, it's mainly been me and Nicci. Not that it's a bad thing," she added as he started to protest. "You grew up, and experienced new things. I was happy for you when you joined the team, even if it meant less time with one of my best friends," she assured him.

As she considered where she wanted to go with what she was saying, she fell silent again. James just waited out the silence. "The day I met Brett, was the day I decided I wanted to do what you had done. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I grew up, a lot. I honestly never expected anything serious to come out of my relationship with Brett. For a while, I was sure he would lose interest in me, and it would be done, and I was okay with that. I mean, in a way, I was using him, too, in my quest to experience the world some more," she held up her hand and looked in his eyes to cut off his semi-angry protest.

Of course, she had known he would get upset over that explanation, but she wasn't done yet, and she wasn't going to let him interrupt her. "Just listen," she commanded. Amazingly, he fell silent. "I've gotten so much more than I ever expected out of this relationship. I could have never dreamed of what actually happened," she paused and waited as he curiously waited for her to continue. Smiling, she continued. "I fell in love, with a great guy, and I really couldn't be happier. I never expected it to happen, but it did, and the only thing that would make it better would be to have my best friend at my side again," she finished.

The basketball court was once again as silent as it had been when they were playing, except it was even quieter, because they didn't even have the noise of the basketball. Chilarie actually was worried that he was going to say no, and then she remembered that he had called her, so she decided it was her turn to wait out the silence. "You know, Hope, these past few months have been hell without you. I've really missed you, and I'm sorry I've been such a jackass. I'll support you no matter who you date, because that's what best friends do. Will you forgive me?" he asked.

With a huge grin, Chilarie wrapped him in a hug. "Of course I'll forgive you. I know your stubborn. It's kind of a Scott thing," she joked, happier than she'd felt in a long time, because she finally had her best friend back. "What do you want to do now?" she asked as she pulled away. He looked down at his watch and his eyes widened. He looked back up at her and she knew what he was going to say. "You have a date with Kate, don't you?" she asked. He nodded slowly. "Don't worry about it, we'll hang later. Go be with your girlfriend," she assured him that it was alright.

After just another moment of consideration, he nodded and got up with a grin. "I'll see you later, Hope," he called as he grabbed his basketball and walked to the car he had just recently gotten as a gift from his parents. He waved as he drove away, but Chilarie just sat still on the bleachers. She didn't know just who she wanted to hang out with. Nicci hadn't answered her phone calls, and James was now busy. She could always call Brett, she knew, but she wanted to spend an evening with friends, and not just spend all of her time with her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, she had no friends she wanted to hang out with right now. She wished she had brought a basketball as she sat there at the Rivercourt, but, of course, she hadn't thought to do that either. Just as she was about to get up and leave, Brett's jeep pulled up. She smiled as he got out of the jeep, holding a basketball. He walked toward her slowly, bouncing the basketball once he reached the blacktop. "I got a call that said you were alone here. Would you like some company?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

For a moment, Chilarie considered asking who had called him, but then he stepped even closer and she got a good whiff of his scent, which always made her head rush, and she just didn't care. She stood and stepped onto the level where her butt had been, so she could be tall enough to wrap her arms around his neck when he stepped close enough. "You know, I would love some," she said, letting out an uncharacteristic giggle as his warm breath began to wash over her cheeks. Then she pulled him closer, closing the distance between them using their lips.

They spent a long time just standing there, with her on the bleachers and him on the blacktop in front of her, making out like the teenagers they were. After a while, Brett decided they had to stop this before he lost it. So he picked her up, swung her around and set her feet on the blacktop, still not breaking the kiss. He waited another couple moments to do that. When he finally did, she looked down at where her feet were and then back up at him curiously. He just shrugged. "Come on, Little Scott, let's play some basketball," he said, picking up the basketball he had dropped when he had put his hands on her waist, and gesturing to the court.

Wanting to continue, but knowing it was probably not a good idea, Chilarie nodded, stealing the basketball away from him and heading for the hoop, to throw it in. He came after her, and they began a one-on-one game. There was a lot more fouls and making out in this game than in the one she'd played with James more than an hour earlier, but Chilarie found she liked it that way, but only with Brett. They continued playing for a long time before they ended up sprawled out on the grass next to the court, watching the sun set, and occassionally stealing kisses.

Startling both of them, Chilarie's phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, reluctant to admit there was a rest of the world while she was with Brett, as she often was, and saw a number she didn't know on the display of her phone. Cautiously, she opened it, and said a slow hello. She heard the sound of tears, and she got worried when she recognized them as Nicci's. She sat up in alarm and said her best friend's name. Brett sat up as well as she waited for an answer. She repeated Nicci's name, this time more fervantly. "Oh, Hope, I need your help," Nicci finally cried in distress, alarming Chilarie with the fear in her voice.

A/N: So, here's the next chapter, with my new day for updating. I got a couple reviews, but I still wonder if anyone wants to read this. I have to admit, I have more ideas for this than anything else I'm working on, but if no one wants to read it, then it doesn't matter much. I left this chapter a cliffhanger to see if I can get y'all to speculate on what you think Nicci needs help with. I also want to add that all readers appreciate a kind word said about their work, even if it's just a 'good job,' or 'update soon.' Or, if you want to talk about the new season/episode of One Tree Hill, that's cool too. Don't think I don't appreciate all the reviews I have received, though. I appreciate every single one, and every one who's put this story on favorites or story alert. I just want you to know every review means a lot to me, and I sincerly appreciate each and every one. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Oh, and the whole writing on the water tower idea I got from a song. It's not mine, and I don't claim it to be. Just wanted to be clear on that. The song is called 'John Deere Green,' and I think it's by Joe Diffy, but I can't remember exactly if that's right.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


	11. Ch10: The Real Thing?

Once again, Nicci apologized as Brett pulled his Jeep to a stop in front of her house. "Nicci, stop. You're my best friend, and best friend's help each other when one of them is in a bind. Now, come on and I'll walk you to your door," Chilarie replied as she slipped out of the passenger side of the Jeep, allowing Nicci to get out of the backseat. She linked her arm through Nicci's, and held up one finger to Brett as she walked Nicci towards the house. "Seriously, Neese, Brett doesn't mind. He's as glad you're okay as I am. You really had me worried with that phone call," she added as they left hearing distance of the Jeep.

In a habit that she had developed since she had first gotten her glasses, Nicci pushed them up on the bridge of her nose then massaged her nose where her glasses had just been. "I didn't know you were with Brett. If I had known that, I would have just walked home. I honestly don't know what he thinks of me now. I don't know what I think of me," she paused, but Chilarie knew she needed to go on as they paused outside the front door. "It was just so stupid, Hope. I always told myself that I would never be the girl who's with a guy who only wants her for sex and I was blinded by the guy I met online. I thought he was one of the good ones, and I was wrong," she finished, the tears shimmering in her eyes.

Without a second though, Chilarie pulled Nicci into her arms, giving her best friend a hug. "Oh, Nicci, you aren't stupid. You're the smartest girl I know. It's that guys fault. He was a jackass I'm sure. You can't ever let guys like him get you down. You are an amazing person, Nicci Jagielski, and someone someday is going to see just how special you are, and he won't care if you have sex with him or not. I promise," she comforted her friend. "In the meantime, don't go off with guys you meet on the internet, okay, at least not without bringing Brett and I with you," she pulled back, looking for confirmation from her friend.

Luckily the tears were gone, and Nicci nodded. "Look at that, though," she said, and Chilarie thought back on what she said, wondering what Nicci was referring to. "I hear the way you talk about him, and see the way you guys are, like you'll always be together, like neither of you has a doubt about your relationship. I just wanted something like that, and I thought I had found it, until it started trying to take off my bra and get up my skirt, and I freaked, and it kicked me out of the car and left me. How did you find Brett, and where can I get one like him?" Nicci's tone had changed from admiration, to self-criticism and finally landed on sarcasm.

Just from that last comment, Chilarie was sure that her best friend was going to be okay. Still, there was one question she needed to ask. "You're sure he didn't manage anything, though, right? If he did, you'd tell me right?" she asked, searching Nicci's navy blue eyes. As soon as the question left her lips, she saw the answer in Nicci's eyes, and she felt relief. Before Nicci could answer, she pulled her best friend into another quick hug. "Okay, then, I'll call you tomorrow, and if you don't answer again, I'll send out the search party," she joked, just the right amount of seriousness in her tone to let Nicci know she meant it.

The raven-haired teen gave her best friend one last wave before opening the front door and heading into her house, as Chilarie made her way back down the pathway to the Jeep. She got in next to Brett and leaned over, giving him a peck on the lips. "Thank you, for taking me to get her. I was so worried, because she asked for help, then told me where she was and the connection ended, and I was scared for her. You were there, though, and you got me in the car and made me tell you where we were going, and you got us there," she said, her mind on the words that Nicci had gotten stuck in her mind.

Brett tried to act like what he'd done was no big deal, but Chilarie wasn't that willing to let it go. "No, I mean it. A lot of guys wouldn't have cared as much as you did. Most guys would have allowed me to go off on my own to figure out what was wrong, even if it could have been something much worse than it was," she paused, Nicci's words sounding in her mind. 'I hear the way you talk about him, and see the way you guys are, like you'll always be together, like neither of you have a doubt about your relationship.' She couldn't help but wonder if Nicci had been spot on.

Thinking back, she realized she had said the words, 'Brett and I' like there wasn't a chance of having one without the other, and that wasn't the first time she'd done that either. Then she realized that Brett had included her in his life in the same way she had let him into hers. She didn't know when she had become one half of a couple, instead of just one person, but she wasn't sure she minded. She didn't think she would tell him that just yet, though. "Thank you," she said instead, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder as he drove her to the Rivercourt to pick up her Comet.

Feeling his lips on her hair, she knew he thought she meant thank you for just tonight, but she didn't. Well, yeah, she did, but she also meant thank you for everything he had ever done for her, and all the good she knew he would continue to bring to her life. She didn't clarify, though. She just continued to contemplate all the things she had just discovered. She realized then that she didn't want to spend one day without Brett, and even though he was going away to college, and she would be forced to, she was going to spend as much time with him as she could in the meantime.

When he parked his Jeep at the Rivercourt, so she could get her Comet, she sat up, giving him a heated kiss, that lasted longer than she had planned. When she pulled back, the look on his face was one that asked, 'What was that for?' She smiled at him, and shrugged. "I just," she searched for the words that would explain how she felt. "I love you," she finally finished when she could think of nothing that meant more than that. He seemed to understand, though, and he kissed her hand and said the words back before allowing her to get out of his car.

CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB

There was a incessant knocking on Chilarie's door, which woke her from the sweet dreams she had been having involving a certain boyfriend of hers. She stretched languidly, then threw the pillow at the door, letting out a groan as she buried her head under the blanket. She had been up half the night talking to Brett, only falling asleep after her phone had died and she couldn't talk to him anymore. She could have grabbed her laptop and gone online to talk to him or even grabbed the house phone, but seeing as it had been past 4 in the morning, she had decided to go to bed.

Now it was about 8 in the morning and Peyton was knocking on her door, telling her to wake up. For the past week, Chilarie had spend her days with Brett, then called him as soon as he brought her home for her curfew, and spent most of the night talking to him. They had spent their days with other people too, sometimes James and Kate, sometimes with Nicci, or some combination of the three, but at night it was just them, and Chilarie savored the time she got to just talk with him, because she felt like she could never learn enough about him.

The door opened and Peyton popped her head in. "I know it's Saturday, and you'd like to sleep in, but your brother said he has an announcement. Everyone's coming over for lunch today, but he said he wanted to tell us first, and you're going to be up before he gets here," she said sternly, pulling back and closing the door. Before the door closed all the way, though, she leaned back into the room. "Oh, yeah, and I thought that maybe you could call Brett and invite him over as soon as your brother makes his announcement, so the family could get to know him better," she added, almost as an afterthought, before closing the door.

It took a moment for the words to seep into Chilarie's sleep-addled brain, but when they did, she jumped up and ran to the door, flinging it open and running through, stopping at the top of the staircase, while her mom was at the bottom. "You mean he can come to lunch today?" she asked, amazed. Her dad had been pretty adamant about this being a family function, and Brett wasn't part of the family. Chilarie had argued that Aiden was bringing Vanessa, but her dad hadn't listened, and to avoid another arguement between the two, Peyton had told Chilarie that Brett could come to the next family function.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs and turning around, Peyton smiled at her daughter. "Your dad just needed some time to get used to the idea. Now he's decided he wants to spend more time with Brett. You know he's going to grill him, as are most of the guys in this family. You're going to have to deal with that, though, because they all love you, and only want you to be happy," she paused. "Oh, they probably want to embarrass you, too, so don't let them know if you do get embarrassed, because it's what they want," she winked at her daughter, and then continued on her way to the kitchen to check on breakfast.

Turning around again, Chilarie headed back to her room, trying to figure out whether she was going to head straight to the shower, or call Brett first. She knew she should give him some more time to sleep, but she felt so excited that she couldn't help but call him right now. "This better be good," his voice was gruff and husky and she could imagine he'd just grabbed his phone without looking at the caller ID. She could picture him in bed, without his shirt, his hair all messed up, and it made her giggle.

Before he could say anything else, she spoke up. "You mean you don't want to talk to your girlfriend, whom you haven't talked to in less than four hours?" she teased, continuing before he could say anything about his tone. "I bet I can tell you something that will make it worth waking up, because I know it was worth it for me," she said, once again continuing, this time because she knew some sexual innuendo would come out of his mouth. He wasn't pressuring her about sex, but still, he was a guy. "My parents gave the go ahead for today. You can come over after breakfast. I'd say about 10 o'clock," she finally paused, waiting for him to speak.

There was a moment, much like she had had earlier, while the news seeped into Brett's mind, then she could hear his grin through the phone. "That's great, Little Scott. I know this means a lot to you, and because of that, it means a lot to me. I just hope this time goes better than the last time, but then again, I wasn't invited over there last time," he joked, and she rolled her eyes. She could hear him yawn. "Since you've gotten me up, and I'm never going to get back to sleep, I'm going to go on a run, and then shower, then I'll be over there, okay?" he asked.

After they exchanged 'I love you's and hung up, Chilarie lay back in her bed a moment before getting into the shower. In her mind, this was just one step closer to her dad fully accepting him. She knew if her father could just see what she saw in Brett, he'd understand. He just had to understand. He'd been in love with her mom. He had to at least somewhat get where she was coming from. True, Chilarie is a lot younger than her parents were when they fell in love, but, obviously, age isn't everything, because somehow the couple screwed it up and spent five years apart. She didn't want to do that. She wanted it to work out now, and it working out included both of her parents approving her relationship.

Knowing she couldn't go back to sleep like she wanted to, Chilarie decided to get up and take a shower. She felt more awake when she got out, and she dressed in a baby blue cotton sundress that flowed to her knees. She pulled her straight black hair half-way up, noticing as she did so that her blonde roots were beginning to become apparant. Before she had a chance to really dwell on it, there was a knock on her door. "Yeah," she called distractedly, trying to decide how she was going to do her make-up.

It was her mom telling her that everyone was here but Aiden, and she was to get downstairs before he did. Chilarie nodded, and then turned to the mirror to begin applying her cover-up when she realized her mom was still standing there. She met her gaze in the mirror, and cocked an eyebrow as she waited. "I was wondering if you had thought anymore about maybe making a record," she asked, coming into the room and sitting on the end of Chilarie's bed.

To be honest, Chilarie hadn't thought about it at all. She had actually kind of forgotton her mom had asked. She had been working on a new song, but she hadn't considered her mom's offer. She turned to fully face her mom. She was actually kind of scared to make a record, because she knew that Haley's music career had almost ruined Haley and Nathan, and her aunt and uncle were such a perfect match, if something like a record deal could screw them up, what would it do to her and Brett? Not that she believed they weren't a strong couple, but there was already going to be a strain on their relationship when he went to college, she didn't want something like a record deal and possible tour to be the thing to strain it too much.

With a sigh, she sat down on the bed. She did think it would be kind of cool to have a record deal, though. She'd thought about it before, of course, since her mom owned a record label, but she hadn't given it any serious thought. It had always been more of a pipe dream for her. Maybe one day in the far future, but never really in reach. It also scared her because her song lyrics were the one way she truly expressed herself. What if everyone hated them? "I don't know, Mom. I'm kinda scared that it's not good enough," she admitted in a soft voice, then offered up a compromise before her mom could protest. "Maybe I'll consider singing something at Tric first, and if that works out, I'll consider working with the label," she said.

After taking a moment to think about her offer, Peyton nodded, getting to her feet, waiting for Chilarie to do the same before shaking her hand. "It's a deal," she said, then pulled her daughter into a hug, lightly stroking her hair. "You'll be great, Chilarie. I know it, and the world will know it too. You're going to change the world one day, baby girl. I truly believe that," she said, kissing her daughter's temple before releasing her. "I want you to pick a song and work with Hales on it. She can get you ready to perform at Tric. I'll set up the day for that," she sent her daughter a reassuring smile before leaving the room.

Sighing, Chilarie sat back on the bed, wondering what she had just done. Did she really commit herself to performing onstage, in front of people? She wasn't sure she would be able to do it, but she would try. She needed to talk to Brett. He would be able to calm her nerves regarding performing. The thought of Brett made her remember she was getting ready, so she stood and went back to doing her make-up, selecting a pair of blue strappy heels that matched her dress once she finished her make-up. Given how much taller Brett was than her, she needed all the help she could get.

By the time she was headed down for the living room, she heard the knock on the door that announced Aiden was here. She continued down the stairs and entered the living room, noting the rest of her family was already gathered. She could smell the aroma coming from the kitchen that meant her mom had cooked breakfast, and she heard the level of ruckus that only came from a two-parent, eight-child family. It reminded her of the days when Aiden and Jason had still lived at home, and she smiled, deciding to answer the door since everyone else was talking.

The two were arguing when Chilarie opened the door, and from the bit she heard, she could tell they were arguing about Aiden's shirt. She looked at the shirt in question, and noticed it was the tee-shirt he had gotten during his freshman year of high school, at his first ACDC concert. It had been the first concert he had ever gone to, actually, and because of that, he wore the tee-shirt a lot, and it was worn and old now. It was clear that it annoyed Vanessa that he still wore it. The two of them straightened and forced smiles when they noticed Chilarie was there.

Laughing, she gave her brother a hug. "You should be used to it by now, or if not, you should get used to it. This boy is as stubborn as they come, and he'll never get rid of this shirt. You should know that by now. I mean, you've been dating him practically since that concert. You should know how stubborn my brother is," she said to Vanessa as she let go of Aiden and pulled the woman into a hug. Aiden had known her since long before high school, and he'd been dating her since his sophomore year of high school, so Vanessa was practically family already. The only thing that could make it any more official would be a ring on her left hand.

As she thought that, Chilarie happened to glance at Vanessa's left hand, and she noticed a ring on her third finger. Her eyes widened as she looked at her brother and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she let out an excited squeal. "No way! No way, no way, no way! I can't believe it. Really? Actually, I can believe it. I just can't believe it took him so long," she sent a playful look to her brother, waiting for a response.

Both Vanessa and Aiden looked alarmed and Vanessa quickly tucked her left hand in her pocket, but there was no denying the truth. "Shut up shorty. I haven't told Mom and Dad yet, and you don't want Mom to know you found out first," he scolded her, but there was a teasing note to his voice as he looked over at Vanessa, taking her left hand out of her pocket and tucking it into his. "I told you she was too smart for her own good. We should have had Mom and Dad come over to our house, so this one wouldn't have ruined the surprise," he teased his sister back.

Pouting playfully, Chilarie pretended to be annoyed with her brother, but she really couldn't help being excited. "Don't worry. I won't ruin it. I don't know anything," she said, successfully hiding her excitement as she led the way into the living room. She took a seat on the floor next to the couch, right next to where Jalisa was playing with her ponies. She pulled the little girl into her lap, forcing her to focus her attention on Aiden and Vanessa, who were standing just inside the doorway, getting ready to make their announcement.

Silence slowly fell over the room as everyone realized Aiden was here. He cleared his throat, Vanessa's left hand still tucked in his as she stood slightly behind him. "You all know that Vanessa and I have been dating for eight years now, and I've known her a lot longer than that. Well, I finally asked her to marry me, and she said yes," he said, holding her left hand out for everyone to see. There was congratulations from everyone, and Jason, of course, gave his twin some crap for taking so long to ask her, but everyone was happy for the couple, and Peyton quickly took Vanessa to the side to begin discussing wedding plans.

That only lasted a few moments, though, before Peyton remembered breakfast, and ushered everyone to the table. Lucas sat at the head of the table, with Peyton at his left side, and Jason at his right. Vanessa was next to Aiden, and Jason was next to Peyton. Chilarie sat next to Vanessa while Baley took the seat next to Jason. Keeton and Keagan sat across from each other, with Keagan next to Baley and Keeton next to Chilarie. Jalisa sat at the end next to Keagan. Peyton and Vanessa continued the discussion of wedding details, with Chilarie jumping in occassionally.

Just after they finished eating breakfast, Chilarie got a text from Brett, asking if it was okay if he came over now. Chilarie looked at her family, which was all spread out in the backyard, happy to be getting a new member, and she realized the only thing that would make this moment better for her would be if Brett was with her. So she was grinning widely as she text back that now would be the perfect time. Then she jumped back into the conversation with her mom and Vanessa, casually mentioning that Brett would probably be here soon.

By the time the doorbell rang, Chilarie was torn between being nervous and being excited. She was happy that Brett was being accepted in this way, but she was nervous that it wouldn't go well. She tried to shake her nerves as she walked through the house, telling herself that she loved him, and he loved her back, and if that wasn't enough for her family, they would just have to deal with it. That didn't work that well, though, because she knew she really did want her family to accept him. She wanted to be able to bring him to every family function in the future, and not have to avoid her family because they didn't like her boyfriend.

Opening the door, she offered him a smile. He had dressed up nice, in khaki cargo pants and a green polo, and he looked good. She couldn't resist standing on her tiptoes-because, in spite of the fact that she was wearing heels, he was still taller-and pulling him into a kiss. She could tell that he wanted this to go well as much as she did, and not only because it was important to her. He really wanted to be accepted in her family. She took his hand, lacing their fingers together, and led him to the backyard, bracing herself before leading him outside.

A/N: So, did anyone worry about Nicci. Well, I had hoped you would, but she's okay. I'm just going to hurry and write this so I can post the chapter, though. So, as always, let me know what you think, and tell me if you have comments, ideas or criticisms, whether it's about this, or the episode of One Tree Hill that's on tonight. Review, please!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


	12. Ch11: Sharing a Secret

"Gosh, you two are so sickening. There is no way your family could possibly say you guys aren't good together. The way he looks at you. It makes me want to vomit," Nicci told Chilarie as they walked into the house to grab the buns for the burgers. Everyone had arrived by this point, and Brett seemed to be holding his own out there with her family. She was kind of proud of the way he managed to take their barbs about age differences and intentions with no problem. He definitely seemed to be making a good impression.

It was actually Chilarie who felt like she was making a fool of herself. When she was talking to Chase earlier, she felt like she couldn't say anything right, and that was why she had come inside, with the pretense of getting the buns. She just wanted to hide out a minute, actually. Nicci had sensed her distress and followed her inside. Chilarie leaned against the cabinet and slid down to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her face in them. "Easy for you to say. I want to vomit for a completely different reason," she moaned, her voice muffled by her knees.

Laughing quietly, so as not to alert Chilarie to her amusement, Nicci knelt down next to her best friend. She rubbed her back reassuringly. "Oh, come on, Hope, Uncle Chase isn't that bad. You've known him forever, it's not like you're really going to make a bad impression now," she paused for a moment, thinking. "You know, it's not like Chase is even Brett's father, really, so if he doesn't like you, it doesn't really matter, in the long run," she added, as an afterthought.

Lifting her head to glare at Nicci, Chilarie pushed her hand away. "You are so not helping," she told her before standing up, trying to shake off the embarrassment. At least, she stood up for about two seconds, until she saw Brett coming through the door, then she bounced right back down, trying to hide behind the counter again. "I'm not here," she mouthed to Nicci, who had gotten to her feet, feeling stupid because she was hiding from her boyfriend, but also feeling unable to face him at the moment.

Barely glancing down, Nicci gave Chilarie a subtle thumbs up, and began walking toward the door, grabbing the buns on her way, so she could get that out of the way. As she passed Brett, she knew he was going to ask where Chilarie was, and she spoke before he could. "She's hiding behind the counter," she said, laughing at the groan that came from Chilarie as she left the house, going to the backyard to leave the two lovebirds alone. She knew Brett would be able to reassure Chilarie in a way that she hadn't been able to.

As the back door closed, Brett made his way around to the side of the counter, sitting down against it, and then leaning around the corner to see his girlfriend. "You come here often?" he asked, and she groaned again, putting her face in her hands. "Hey, Little Scott, what's wrong?" he asked, dropping all joking pretense and growing more concerned for her. He scooted closer, trying to think of what could have happened, but the last thing he remembered, she had been talking to Chase.

Of course, Chilarie knew she was being kind of ridiculous. Nicci had been right the first time, when she'd said that Chase had known her forever, and it was too late to make a bad impression, but still. She had never met him as his son-in-law's girlfriend. She shook her head without looking at him. "Nothing. I'm just being stupid, really," she said, finally looking over at him and offering him a smile that they both knew was forced. She stood up and made to leave the room.

Brett didn't move from his spot. She only walked a few steps before she realized that. She turned and faced him, the smile on her face now a bit more real than it had been moments ago. She put her hands on her hips as she studied him. He just cocked an eyebrow, telling her without words that she wasn't getting away with not telling him what was wrong. "I'm not stupid, you know, and I'm insulted if you think I really believe you," he spoke after a few moments of their stare down.

Heaving an overexagerated sigh, she plopped back down in her previous position. "Okay, you know me way too well, Hot Shot," she admitted, but she kept silent for a minute, truly embarrassed by her feelings. He put his hand on hers, to let her know that he was there, and waiting. "I love you," she declared suddenly, and the look on his face became confused, because he didn't know what was wrong with that. Before he could say something, she continued. "I love you so much, and I'm out there, hanging out with your step dad and your little half-siblings, who adore you, by the way," she added.

It took him a minute, despite the previous statement of him not being stupid, but when he got it, he started laughing. Chilarie immediately pulled her hand out of his and glared at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and wanted to tell him it wasn't funny, but she settled for waiting for him to finish laughing. He immediately got his laughter under control and reached over to caress her cheek. "Really, Little Scott, I thought you were supposed to be smarter than me," he said, still chuckling.

For probably the first time, she slapped his hand away from her face, her look becoming incredulous, letting him know immediately that he had phrased that wrong. "Listen, I love you, and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks about that. No one in the world matters to me more than you. The only reason I care what your family thinks about us is because I know you care, and I'd do anything to make you happy," he said reaching out to bush her hair behind her ears. "Besides, Chase isn't even my real dad, so it doesn't matter to me whether or not he approves," he finished.

This time, she let him touch her and she even kissed him when he leaned over for a kiss. Something still wasn't right, though, and he could tell her mind wasn't at ease. "I know it matters to you, though, so let's go back out there, and you can amaze him wthe way you amaze me every single day," he said, causing her to blush. "Seriously, Hope, you're an amazing person, and anyone who can't see that is blind, and anyone who can't see the way I feel about you, is just stupid," he said, standing and offering her his hand.

Feeling better, she took his hand, and he effortlessly pulled her to her feet. Instead of allowing him to pull her towards the door, though, she held him in place, pulling him closer and wrapping her arms around his neck as she placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "You want to talk about amazing. I find it amazing how you always know exactly what to say," she said before pulling him down to her level for another kiss. Even though she was wearing a pair of her tallest heels, he was still way taller than her.

After a few more minutes of kissing in the kitchen, Chilarie took his hand, lacing her fingers through his and leading him out to the back yard. She spotted Aiden and Vanessa standing over by the half-court, so she led him over there. "Hey, big brother, how goes it? When do you plan on making your big announcement to everyone?" she asked, because although Aiden had told his immediate family, he had yet to tell everyone else, and she was pretty sure people would start leaving soon enough.

As she stood next to Brett, talking to Aiden and Vanessa, she wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder, while his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. She was glad that Aiden seemed to get along okay with Brett, that he was actually okay with her dating him. Aiden, more than anyone else in her family, seemed to realize just how deeply she had fallen for him, and he supported her, so long as she was happy. That didn't mean Aiden wouldn't hate Brett if he ever broke her heart, though, and Chilarie was kind of glad for that too.

A little while later, Chilarie and Brett were standing with Chase when Brett was called away to help Jason move the patio furniture to the covered porch for Peyton, because the weatherman had predicted rain soon. She wasn't worried so much about him holding his own with her brother. Rather, she was more worried about how she would handle herself with Chase. She decided to just tell the truth the to man she'd always considered a part of her extended family. "Listen, I know you care about him, and I do too. I love him so much, and I don't know what is going to happen next year, or even tomorrow, but I know he's my world now, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for him," she admitted, her eyes widening in sudden realization.

While she was talking to Chase, and explaining things to him, she had had an epiphany of sorts. It wasn't anything she hadn't already really known in her heart, but in that moment, she realized that all of her fears and doubts about the next year, and what everyone thought didn't matter. "Tomorrow's never promised to anyone, and I know you know that better than most people, but what's important, is taking chances on love, because I'd rather be happy now, in spite of all the criticisms and unknowns, and possibly feel pain later, than never be happy at all," she finished.

After listening to her impromtu speech, Chase felt exactly the same way about her relationship with Brett as he had before. "Chilarie, I've known you since you were a baby. I've watched you grow into the young woman you are today," he paused, and she was hanging on his every word, having no idea what he was actually going to say. "And there is no one better for Brett to be with," he finished and she felt herself relax, despite her previous epiphany, in which she decided she didn't care what other people thought.

Chase wasn't completely finished speaking yet, though. "Since his mom died, Brett kind of lost himself, and I haven't seen him truly happy since then. With you, I actually see him smiling again, and truly happy, and he's turned back into the guy he used to be, the guy that made his mother proud, and it's because of you, and if you can do that for him, not to mention put up with him when he was in his darkest moments, then there is no one better suited for him, and I wish you both the best of luck," he told her. "And I'm sure Mia would say the same thing," he added.

The older man's words made Chilarie want to cry, but instead of crying, she hugged him instead, grinning from ear to ear as she pulled back."Thanks Chase, that really, truly means the world to me, and I appreciate it a lot," she said, really meaning it. Before she could say anything else to Chase, though, Brett's little brother came up to them. He looked up at her innocently with the eyes of a child who hasn't truly seen the horrors of the world, or really understand them. "What's up, Robert?" she asked.

Kneeling down next to him, she was exactly eye level with the small boy. He was still looking at her with wide-eyed innocence, and she loved children for their innocent persective of the world. "Do you love my brother? 'Cause I heard Daddy saying you saved him, and Momma always said that you gots to save the ones you love," he said inocently, and Chilarie smiled as she nodded. He considered this for a moment. "So, are yous gonna be my sister, then, and if you are, are you gonna be mean to me like Kat is?" he asked, causing her to chuckle.

Shaking her head, at his question, she ruffled his hair. "You know, I would love to be your sister, because I know you are a very cool little kid, and maybe one day I will be, but your brother and I would have to get married, and that won't happen for a long time," she answered, and she could tell he was confused, so she quickly moved on to a slightly different subject. "I know older siblings can be a pain, but they're also great, too. Kat may tease you sometimes, but I'll bet she loves you all the time," she told him, lightly tapping his nose before sending him off to play again.

After watching Robert run back over to the basketball court to watch the guys who were playing a pick-up game, she noticed Isabella sitting on the porch and got a sudden urge to go talk to her. She made her way over there, manuvering around all the little kids and teenagers that made obstacles in the backyard, many of whom she had to almost blow off as she set about her newfound task. She pulled up a chair next to Isabella, who didn't acknowledge her immediately. "So, what's you're opinion on my relationship with Brett?" she asked.

At first the teen looked surprised, then she cocked an eyebrow, as if asking why Chilarie would care what she thought. Before she could put words to the question, Chilarie explained. "I know you have an opinion too, and since you're Brett's step-sister, because your dad is his step-dad, I'd like to know what you think," she explained with a shrug.

With a hesitant smile, she looked a little curious as to why Chilarie really wanted to know, but started speaking just the same. "Well, I mean, I think it's great that you guys are together. Not only because you've made him into a better person, which you totally have, but also because he changed you," this surprised Chilarie, and Isabella continued to explain. "You've always been so shy, Chilarie, but he's brought you out of your shell, and I think that's great, for both of you," she said, able to tell that Chilarie was still finding it hard to believe Brett had changed her.

Smiling more honestly, she assured Chilarie it wasn't a bad thing. "I think it's great, that you both bring out the best in each other. I think that's what true love really is. It's not finding someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with, though that helps; it's finding someone who will make you a better person without even knowing they're doing it, and loving that person even when they're not at their best. I think you found that with Brett, and if you both are happy, who am I to try and stop it. I only hope I can find what you guys have one day," she finished.

This made Chilarie smile to, and she couldn't resist leaning over to hug Isabella. Isabella, surprised, hugged back nonetheless. She pulled back with a teasing look. "You know, this moment was great and everything, but I think I'm going to go before you start crying on me or something," she joked, and Chilarie stuck her tongue out at her as she got up and walked away. Chilarie stayed sitting on the porch, her thoughts turning to the possible record deal and tour. She really didn't know what she was going to do.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she heard a familiar voice speak and she looked up into the eyes of her boyfriend. She smiled and shrugged, and Brett took the chair Isabella had just vacated, which Chilarie stayed silent. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him about this until she made a decision. She hadn't exactly shown him her songs before, and she was still embarrassed about the scene that happened on his graduation day. "Seriously, Little Scott, tell me what's up," he saidgently nudging her with his shoulder.

Biting on her lip, she stayed silent for another moment, trying to decide what to do. "Seriously, I don't think my thoughts are worth that much," she said, referring to his first comment. He just waited patiently and she sighed. "Alright, fine. My mom offered me a chance to record something with her label, and I don't know whether I should or not," she explained, deciding to be completely honest with him, and face her biggest fear: that he would think her secret dream is stupid.

With her head down, she continued biting her lip and avoiding his gaze as she waited to hear heis reaction. "I think that's a great idea, Hope," he said, sounding seriously impressed with her. She looked up, and asked him if he really meant that. "Of course I do. You're great, Chilarie Hope Scott, and one day you'll change the world. I think if your mom thinks you can do it, then you should," he assured her, pausing, as if hesitant to continue. "Can I ask you something, though?" he finally added, cautiously.

Nodding distractedly, because she was still kind of shocked at how supportive he was, not because she didn't expect him to be supportive of her, but because he had never even heatd her sing, and he believed she'd be great at it. She realized that he seemed to be worried about something, though, and focused all of her attention on him, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "You can ask me anything, Hot Shot," she said confidently, waiting for whatever question he had.

Swallowing to get past the lump in his throat, Brett wasn't sure why he was so nervous to ask this question. "Well, I was just wondering, why you didn't, you know, tell me about the fact that you write songs?" he stopped himself from going on because he didn't want to sound insecure. For a moment he thought about the feelings Chilarie was causing him to have. He had never felt nervous around a girl before, and he would never have cared if this had happened with anyone else, but this was Chilarie, and he did care, more than he had ever expected to.

It only took her a moment to realize what he was really getting at, and then she felt bad. She had to take a minute to formulate the right response, because she wasn't really sure. Well, she knew, but she wasn't she really wanted to admit her fears to him. She decided that she had to sometime, might as well be now. "I was scared," she said softly. "Singing is actually my dream, but I'm scared that I'm going to put myself out there and not be good enough, you know, and with you, it's a lot scarier, because it means so much more to me what you think than what anyone else thinks," she explained, going back to biting her lip and looking down.

For a moment, he sat there, in shock at her answer. He reached over and lifted her chin so he could look into her blue-green eyes. "Hey, listen to me. If this is your dream, then you go for it, and I'll be there to support you in whatever you do. If you don't think you're ready to perform yet, that's okay. If you are ready, that's great too. Either way, I want you to be happy, and I want you to know that I'd love to hear you sing some of your songs, but if you're not ready to do that either, that's okay too," he told her.

She smiled at him. "And that right there is why you're my boyfriend," she said, and he cocked his eyebrow, wondering what she was referring to. "You always know the perfect thing to say," she told him, leaning over and meeting his lips. She didn't let the kiss last too long, though, because she knew someone would come over to interrupt soon enough.

Smirking over at her cockily as she pulled away, she saw that flash of arrogance everyone had always claimed was so visible in him. "You mean to tell me you don't love me for my good looks and amazing basketball skills, more importantly the good looks?" he teased. She rolled her eyes, and he dropped the cocky demeanor. "Seriously, though, I'm being honest. I want to hear you sing, but only if you want me to. I'd never pressure you to do anything you didn't want to do," he said, looking into her eyes to let her know exactly what he meant.

With a small smile, she nodded, getting every meaning of that statement. "Let's go," she said, getting up and holding her hand out for him. He looked at it, confused. "We're leaving. I have something I want to show you," she said, still holding her hand out to him. He stood and took her hand and she led through the house and out the front door, grabbing something on her way out of the house. She didn't tell him where they were going as she drove, but he sat beside her in the passenger seat, trusting her completely.

Driving with her hand in his, she parked the car when she reached her destination, and he looked over at the building. "You sure about this?" he asked before she could get out of the car. She looked at the building and then back at him, pausing for a moment before nodding. Then, without another thought, she got out of the car, and led him into the building that she had just parked in front of.

BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC

Back at the Scott house, Lucas walked up to Chase. Chase spoke before Lucas could even say anything. "Listen, Luke, you're a good man, and I know you're going to say something about my step-son and your daughter. I just want to say that you really shouldn't try to fight fate. It's obvious the two are going to be together, because they're meant to be, and nothing will stop it. Speaking as someone who has lost a love like that, I just think I should point out that true love only comes around once, and you shouldn't try to take it from them," Chase said, his eyes staring out across the yard. Lucas follows his gaze and sees Brooke.

BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC-BC

As Chilarie opens the door to the building, Brett enters before her. She looks up at the sign, which says Tric, and takes a deep breath before entering after him, leading him back to the recording studio. She gives him a kiss for courage and then begins to dig through her purse, she pulls out a slip of paper and hands it to her. "I'll sing, if you play this music for me on the guitar, " she said, as she gestures to the accoustic guitar case leaning against the wall.

It takes only a second for Brett to decide what to do. He looked over the piece of music and nodded, easily giving in. She smiled and he went over and took the guitar out of the case. He sat down with it, and began to play, but Chilarie stopped him. "This is a song I just wrote and if you hate it, promise me you'll tell me you love it," she said, and he sent her a look that said he was sure he wouldn't hate it. "You have too much faith in me," she joked, but she was a little relieved nonetheless. She sat on a stool and he began to play the guitar. She closed her eyes and started to sing.

Don't move Baby Don't moveAwww look at youI just want to take this inThe moonlight dancing off your skinOur time Lets take our timeI just want to look in your eyes and catch my breathCuz I just got a feeling

Back at the party, Lucas saw what Chase was looking at. "Hey, look, man, I know you loved Mia, and you know you loved Mia, but that doesn't mean you can't have feelings for someone else. You won't be betraying Mia's memory if you move on. In fact, I'm pretty sure she'd want you to move on. She loved you, more than anything, and she would want you to be happy," he paused, unsure if he was going to overstep some boundaries by continuing. He decided there was nothing to lose. "I know you and Brooke have been spending time together, and I also know that you never really stopped loving her, and she's always held you in her heart. Neither of you would be betraying the ones you truly loved if you sought comfort from each other, and you may even fall in love again," he said, giving Chase something to think about.

This could be one of those memoriesWe want to hold on to, cling to, one we can't forgetBaby, this could be our last first kissThe door to foreverWhat if this was that momentThat chance worth takingHistory in the making

While she was singing, Chilaire opened her eyes, and met Brett's gaze. Shewanted to watch him as she sang, for his reaction. He was strumming on the guitar to her words, and he was literally awestruck. His face was unreadable to her, though, but he held her gaze steadily, just listening to the music, glad she was finally sharing this part of herself with him. He had talked to her about everything, including all his feelings about his mom, and his future, and his past, and he was glad she was finally sharing this part of herself with him. It only made him love her more.

Inside, baby insideCan you feel the butterflies?Floating all aroundCuz I can sure feel them nowTonight, maybe tonightIs a start of a beautiful ride that will never endAnd baby I've got a feeling

At the Leyton house, Aiden and Vanessa were still in the backyard. Vanessa had been talking to Peyton, Brooke and Haley about wedding ideas, and Aiden had been talking with Jason and Nathan about his feelings regarding the wedding, but the newly engaged couple couldn't keep their eyes off each other, and ended up walking away from their prospective conversations so they could meet in the middle. Aiden gave his new fiancee a kiss. "I love you 'Nessa, and this is the start of out beautiful life together. We'll get married, buy a house, have kids, and everything is going to be great for us. I've got a feeling. You'll see," he promised her.

This could be one of those memoriesWe want to hold on to, cling to, One we can't forgetBaby, this could be our last first kissThe door to foreverWhat if this was that momentThat chance worth takingHistory in the making

Once Lucas walks away, Chase is flooded by flashbacks of Mia. He remembers their wedding day, the day she found out she was pregnant for the first time, the days she had both of their kids, and the day she was diagnosed with cancer. He could still rememeber what she had told him. She had given him a gentle kiss on the lips, and then pulled back to look at him. "Listen, any kiss, can be our last, and just because I won't be here forever, doesn't mean I won't be here," she placed her hand on his heart for emphasis, "forever. I know you love me, Chase, and you always will, but it'll be okay to move on. I just want you to be happy. Promise me you won't let me hold you back if you want to one day move on," she had said, and he had promised.

Of course, he had promised her that, because he didn't know how short of a time he really had with her. At that time, he had only months, and then she would be gone, forever. As he watched Brooke, he thought of that promise, and of what Lucas had just told him. He thought of all the time he had spent with Brooke lately, and all the feelings she had reawakened in him. When he had lost Mia, he had honestly thought he would never fall in love again, but here he was, unable to stop these feelings he was having for Brooke. He decided to take Lucas's advice, and he walked across the yard, his gaze on Brooke the whole time.

Right here, right nowHolding you in my arms

As Brooke stood, with Peyton and Haley, she thought about Vanessa and Aiden, and how they had found love. She hoped they never lost each other, because it was hard to find love once it's lost, she knew. Somehow, her thoughts ended up landing on Chase, and she thought about what a comfort he had been to her since Rachel had died. She wasn't sure where she'd be without him. She remembered that brief period of time when she had thought Chase was the one for her, and wondered if it would be okay to explore those feelings again. Then again, she was sure Chase wasn't over his late wife.

Before Brooke could even finish that thought, Chase was walking toward her. She didn't even notice him until he had his arms around her, and he was suddenly kissing her, without saying a word to her beforehand. She wondered briefly if this was supposed to be a sign from Rachel, that she was okay with this, before she let go of all thought, and began kissing him back, wrapping her arms around him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Then the only thing that she could think was that she hadn't felt this good since the day Rachel had died.

This could be one of those memoriesWe want to hold on to, we want to cling to, One that we can't forgetBaby, this could be our last first kissThe door to foreverWhat if this was that momentThat chance worth takingHistory in the making

As Chilarie finished singing, Brett finished playing the music on the guitar, then they just sat still for a moment, letting the silence fill the room. Their gazes met again, and they simultaniously realized that nothing needed to be said. Brett was grateful to Chilarie for sharing this part of her with him, and Chilarie was grateful to Brett for accepting it, and they were both so in love with each other for it. Chilarie stood, and Brett did as well as she began walking towards him. He wrapped her in his arms, and leaned down to kiss her. "This is history in the making," he said, before meeting her lips.

**A/N: **_I'm so super sorry!!! I really wanted to update sooner, and I've had these updates ready forever, but my internet decided it didn't want to work anymore, and it's been down for a while. I finally decided that I don't know when my internet will be working again, so I put my updates on a flash drive, and I'm on my friends computer. So, please, please tell me what you think, and if I get plenty of reviews for this chapter, I'll update that much sooner. I'm not going to make any promises on a date, but I'll try to get on my friends computer again as soon as possible. I have finals this week, though, so there might not be an update until then. Please, please review, and let me know what you think, even if you just want to yell at me for taking so long to update._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything from One Tree Hill, and the song lyrics belong to Darius Rucker._


	13. Ch12: Just One Ending

The whole summer had passed by now, and Chilarie had yet to give Peyton her answer, though she had worked on some of her songs at Tric with Haley. She was more focused on the fact that Brett was leaving in a few days. He was only going to be a few hours away, but still, she would miss him while she was stuck in boring old Tree Hill. Her mom had tried to convince her that she could be out on tour, but she wasn't convinced.

Now it was the day Brett was leaving, and she wanted to cling to him and beg him not to go, but she couldn't do that. She had to let go, and support him, and believe in the fact that he would be back every chance he got, and their love would make it through. She had her hand resting on the back of her neck as she checked out her appearance in the mirror.

With a smile, she removed her hand, and flipped her hair so it was covering the back of her neck. Her hair, with the help of some hair dye and a perm, was back to it's normal blonde color and curls. She was wearing ripped jeans and a band tee and her old standard Converse. She hadn't worn them so much since Brett had come into her life, because she had abandoned them in favor of heels, but she liked the comfort they gave her.

The doorbell rang, and she grabbed her purse as she practically ran for the front door. Her mother beat her too it, unfortunately. Peyton glanced at her daughter, and sent her a smile before heading back to the kitchen, where she had been cooking before the doorbell had rang. Chilarie finally made it to the doorway and caught sight of her boyfriend. She grinned before throwing her arms around him and pulling his lips to hers.

After a few minutes, she pulled back and he leaned his forehead on hers. He had planned the day out and she had no idea what they were doing, and she desperately wanted to ask, he could tell, but she was holding herself back. He just smirked at her. "Don't bother asking, Little Scott, because I'm not going to tell you," he informed her as he took her hand and they left the house.

Chilarie waited until they got into the Jeep before pulling him close and kissing him again, moving her lips this time from his lips, to suck on the hinge of his jaw. She did this for a few moments, until she was sure he was sufficiently distracted. "So, where are we going?" she asked, pulling back slightly as she looked at him. He just smirked and shook his head, giving her a quick kiss and turning away to start the car.

The couple stayed silent through the rest of the drive, and it was a kind of sad silence. Their hands were linked, but they both knew this would be the last day they would spend together for a while. She didn't want to ruin the day, so she didn't say anything, and he didn't either, but it weighed heavily on both of their minds.

As he parked the car, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. She looked at their surroundings. They were at the Rivercourt. "Not exactly the most romantic of places, but we've shared a lot of moments here. I like it," she said, as she leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Now, let's go recreate the memory of the first day we met," she paused, "minus James and Nicci and the twisted ankle," she amended, getting out and grabbing the basketball from the back of the Jeep.

With a smirk, he got out after her. "Oh, no, you won't beat me this time. I won't go easy on you today," he said as they walked onto the court. She tossed him the ball when they reached the middle of the court, but he tossed it back. "Ladies first," he said as he stood in front of her, knees bent and arms spread as he readied himself to block her shot.

Bouncing the ball once, she faked left, and went right around him, dribbling the ball as she made her way to the hoop. He suddenly grabbed her around the middle, and the ball bounced away. She turned in his arms. "No fair, you used hands. That is so a fowl," she said, scrunching her nose at him cutely. He cut her off by kissing her. "This doesn't mean I'm going to let you win," she said when she pulled away.

Instead of letting her get away, he grabbed her and pulled her back. She cocked an eyebrow at him, but he just pulled her face to his, and kissed her deeply. She pulled her face back a few moments later, and began working her lips along the hinge of his jaw, her arms working their way up to wrap around his neck, her fingers nestling in his hair. He picked her up and walked over to the bleachers, setting her feet on the first bench, so they were even in height.

After a few more minutes, Chilarie pulled back to see his face. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on. I thought we were here to play ball. What's going on?" she asked, because the way he was kissing her, it kind of felt like he thought it would be the last time. "Hey, you know we'll have plenty of time for this. We'll have forever. I thought you were the one who said nothing was going to change," she said.

With a sigh, he sat on the bleachers, pulling her down to sit next to him. He took her hand and played with her fingers as he looked down at them. "I know, and I can't believe it, really. I never thought this would happen to me. If someone would have told me a year ago that I would actually be sad to go to college, that I would actually want to be tied down to someone, I would have laughed in their face," he trailed off.

Wondering what he was getting at, Chilarie stayed silent. "I do, though, Hope. I want to be tied to you, forever. I don't want to go off and leave you. I want it to be you and me, together, like it has been lately. I don't know how I'm going to make it without you, and that's what scares me the most," he finally looked up at her, vulnerable in a way she was pretty sure he allowed himself to be in front of no one else.

Reaching out, she caressed his cheek, looking into his grey eyes. "It's okay to be scared, you know. I am, too. I don't want you to go, and I definitely don't want to be away from you, but you have to go. We'll make it through, I'm sure of it, and until I can see you again, I'll be here, waiting. I promise," she said, dropping her hand down to take his again. "It'll always be here, you and me," she assured him.

With his free hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't doubt you, or us. The world has taken away anyone who's meant anything to me, though. Anyone I let past my boundaries. That's why I haven't let anyone in since my mom died. I don't want to lose you, too," he admitted, but there was something else he wanted to bring up. "I think you should go on tour, like your mom is offering," he said hesitantly.

This actually shocked her a bit, because she hadn't been expecting that topic to come up. They hadn't really talked about it since she had first sung for him, though she had sung him some of her other songs since. They hadn't talked about the tour, though. She bit her lip, before shaking her head. "No, that's not the dream I want right now. I'm going to tell her no, at least for now," she answered, sure of herself.

Staring at her for a minute, he finally nodded. "If you're sure, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, but don't stay in Tree Hill and wait for me. I want you to live your life, too," he said, even though part of him wanted to keep those words in, he wouldn't let himself take them back. He didn't want her to resent him later.

Smiling, she shook her head. "No, that's not why I'm not doing this," she paused, taking a deep breath, and he waited. "I guess I'm not ready to leave home yet. I know soon enough I'm going to have to, and I just want to stay here for as long as I can. I want to play basketball, and stay in school. I'm not ready to leave this behind," she explained.

After taking a moment to stare at her, he was sure she was telling the truth. "Alright, then, let's not talk about it now. We've got other things to do," he said before standing, and pulling her to her feet, and towards the car again. He caught sight of her confused look. "Oh, you couldn't really believe we were going to spend all day here? Maybe a normal day, but today is not normal," he said, before opening the passenger side door, so she could get in the jeep.

Slowly, she slid into the Jeep, wondering where they were going now. She hadn't expected there to be a second stop. She wondered if she was dressed properly for where ever they were going, but she knew he wouldn't tell her in advance, so she waited quietly as he drove to the next place, lacing her fingers with his on the seat between them.

The next time he stopped the Jeep, they were at the arcade where they'd had their first date. Chilarie looked over at Brett. "Are you ready to be beaten again?" she asked, trying to keep the mood light. He rolled his eyes at her and they both got out the the vehicle, laughing.

For hours, they were at the arcade, playing the different games, each of them winning and losing, and bantering as they did so. Chilarie expected them to get pizza at the pizza place when the time for dinner grew near, but apparantly, he had other ideas. He handed her a garment bag and a backpack. "I had Nicci help me pick this out for you. Go change and we'll go to dinner," he said, pushing her towards the bathroom.

A little confused, she went into the bathroom and opened the garment bag. Inside was a beautiful aquamarine colored dress. It was speghetti strap, with an empire waist that flowed to her knees. It fit her nicely, she had to admit, as she slipped it on, and she looked pretty good in it. She looked down at her feet, where her Converse were, and wished that she had worn heels.

Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she remembered the backpack. She opened it to find a pair of silver heels that would look good with the dress, a silver purse that matched the shoes, and make-up. He really had thought of everything for today, and for a minute she stood there, unable to believe how lucky she was. Then she moved into action again, fixing her make-up to better go with the dress, and redoing her hair as well.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw that he had changed as well. He was wearing a pair of khacki dockers, and a button up shirt that matched her dress, along with a tie that was the same color, with silver designs on it. She walked up to him and immediately pulling him into a kiss, not caring about the fact that she had just reapplied her lip gloss.

Air became necessary, so she had to pull her lips away from his, but she just moved them along his jaw, leaving a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses. "Best boyfriend ever," she accented each word with a kiss, before pulling away to look in his eyes. "Seriously, I understand now why every girl in Tree Hill loves you. What's not to love?" she smiled up at him.

With his cocky smirk, he raised his eyebrows at her. "Well didn't you know that already? You're very lucky to be here with me. All the other girls have loved this," he said, arrogance just oozing out of his every pore. She raised her own eyebrows at him in a look of annoyance, but he was quick to the defense. "No, seriously, though, I've never done this much for anyone, and I've never cared so much what another girl thought, because you're more than just another girl. You're my girl," he said, and that instantly melted her annoyance.

Before she could start another make-out session, she controlled herself and took his hand, starting to head for the car. He followed her, but she could read the question on his face. "That was amazingly sweet, and I could stand here all day and listen to you say the exactly right things, but I figured you had probably made reservations somewhere," she explained.

With a smirk that wasn't quite as cocky as the previous one, he stayed silent. He knew she was right. They could stand around all day, and would never run out of good things to say about her, but they did have reservations, so they had to get moving.

When the jeep pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant where he had also taken her on their first date, she just grinned at him. "Well, you said you'd like to come back one day, so today is that day. You're right, it wasn't first date material, or necessary for the first date, anyway, but you're my girl now, Little Scott, and I can pamper you all I want," he said.

After dinner was over, they went for a walk on the beach, with Brett holding Chilarie's heels so she could feel the sand between her toes. They sat down to watch the sunset, and Chilarie rested her head on Brett's shoulder, staring out at the water long after the sun had disappeared. She couldn't think anything except how perfect her life was, and she wouldn't change a thing, even though she didn't know what the future would hold, she knew it would all turn out okay.

**A/N: **_I am super surprised that I am doing this, but I am going to end this fic with this chapter. I never intended to be finished with these characters so soon, but with the lack of reviews, and all the other fics I'm working on, and the way this chapter went, I decided that this chapter could end it. I had a lot more ideas, and actual chapters written, which would have come later, and I might post them, but that would only be extra scenes for the people who are interested, only because I hate to see all those good scenes that I spent so much time working on go to waste. Anyway, let me know what you think, or don't, as y'all apparently don't want to. Thanks to all the people who did read and review, I really appreciated it._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own One Tree Hill, but I did have fun with these characters in this world I created, while it lasted._


	14. Ch13: Crying For Me

Chilarie walked up to the grave, not really surprised at who she found there. She kneeled next to Brooke, even though she wasn't sure Brooke realized she was there, and looked at the headstone. "I guess it's been a while, Aunt Rachel. I'm sorry for that. I've been so busy, you know, trying to spend as much time as I could with Brett," she broke off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know you forgive me, though, because I'm sure you're having the best time, up there where you are," she finished.

For a long while, the older brunette just sat there, crying silently and not acknowledging the teenager. When she finally did speak, she kept her eyes forward. "It's easy for you to say that, Chilarie. You were just her niece. She didn't expect you to spend the whole rest of your life crying for her and thinking of her every minute of every day," she said in her raspy voice, which shook slightly, due to the tears.

Shaking her head, Chilarie reached out, and moved so she was in Brooke's line of sight. "You can't honestly believe she would want you to wallow your life away because she's gone. You know Aunt Rachel would have hated the idea of you doing it, and she'd be making fun of you right now if she could see you, or she'd make one of her sarcastic comments, or something," she said, picturing her aunt doing that very thing. She could almost hear the words.

That wasn't exactly what Brooke had meant, and for a minute, the older woman didn't bother to correct her niece. When she realized that Chilarie wasn't going to go away, though, she finally made eye contact. "I'm not crying for her. I know she's in a better place, living it up where ever she is," she paused, almost managing a laugh as she pictured Rachel partying amongs streets of gold. "I'm crying for me," she clarified, noticing Chilarie's look.

Cocking her head to the side, Chilarie tried to understand what her aunt meant, but she wondered if maybe one had to suffer the loss of a soul mate to really get it. She reached out and touched her aunt's hand. "Explain that to me, Aunt Brooke, because I'm really not sure I get the difference. She wouldn't want you crying at all, I'm sure," she trailed off, her blue-green eyes clouded with confusion as she tried to understand.

Taking a deep breath, she looked past Chilarie, her eyes focusing on the words etched in the stone. She finally reached up and wiped away some of the tears. "I hope you never have to understand this, but what I mean, I guess, is that I'm not crying for her. I'm crying for me, because I had to lose her," she trailed off, trying to figure out a way to really explain what was going through her mind. She knew that explanation hadn't worked, because Chilarie still didn't get it.

Blowing out a breath, she opened her mouth, searching for words. "Sweetie, your Aunt Rachel brought so much to my life. She showed me how to live. I don't feel sorry for her because she's gone, but I feel sorry for me. I'm going to miss her smile, and everything about her. It's hard because she's gone, and because it's over. Still, in spite of way things ended up, I wouldn't change them for anything," she paused, cut off by a fresh wave of tears.

Just talking about Rachel hurt, really, but she knew she'd be okay, eventually, because one day she'd be reunited with her true love again. For so long she hadn't been able to cry, after hearing the news. It was like she had turned numb, lost all feeling whatsoever. Now, though, Chase seemed to be helping her move on. She had finally been able to cry, and move on, and perhaps let go, and she had come here because she needed a sign from Rachel that all that was okay.

Deciding to get to the reason she had sought out Brooke, Chilarie pulled out her cell phone and dialed an old familiar number. She put it on speaker as it rang, and, instinctively, Brooke knew exactly what phone it was calling. The voicemail came on. "Hey, it's Rachel. Sorry you missed me. Leave a message, and maybe I'll get back to you. If it's not Brooke, I don't know why I missed your call, unless I'm having wild monkey sex," there was a pause, than a breathy, "oh yeah, anyway. Love you, Brooke," there was a click and a beep.

Neither of them said anything and Chilarie shut her phone. Brooke was avoiding her gaze again. For some reason, Chilarie felt the need to explain why she had called that number in the first place. "The other day I called the number, because I wanted to see if it had been given to anyone else yet. I didn't really expect to hear her voice. Imagine my surprise when I did," she paused, hesitantly, wondering if she was going to far. She decided to just ask. "Why?" she finally added.

To be honest, Brooke had been wondering that same thing for months now. Why was she still paying the phone bill of her dead wife. Any sane person would have stopped paying the month their loved one had died, but, really, she had the extra money, and she really liked that she could still call the number and head Rachel's voice whenever she wanted. Admittedly, though, she hadn't called it since about a month after she had started seeing Chase again.

Instead of explaining it all to Chilarie, all Brooke could manage was a shrug, because now her thoughts were completely consumed by Chase, and the reason she'd come here in the first place. Did Rachel hate her for moving on? They had never talked about life without the other one, because neither wanted to contemplate it. Would Rachel have wanted her to move on, and with Chase, of all people, her old flame, whom Brooke had almost given up Rachel for.

Just then a leaf fell, and her eyes, for a reason she didn't quite understand, followed it's path, until her gaze was captured by something behind the leaf. She turned her attention to Chase, who seemed to be talking to his dead wife's grave, possibly seeking the same kind of advice that Brooke was. Their eyes met for a moment, and Chase sent her a tentative smile, and Brooke knew she had her answer. She hadn't told Chase where she would be today, just that she had something to take care of.

Before she could say goodbye to Rachel, and head over to Chase, Chilarie made a movement that caught her eye. She watched the blonde hair lift off her niece's neck for a moment, as if Chilarie were going to put it into a ponytail, before the petite teenager dropped her hair as quick as if it was on fire. It didn't matter, though, Brooke had seen what was on her neck. "You got a tattoo?!" she shrieked, near loud enough to wake the dead.

Startled, Chilarie turned to look at her aunt again, eyes studying her as she rambled for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse that Brooke would believe. She only tried to come up with something for a moment, though, because she knew that Brooke wouldn't buy anything she had said. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Please, please don't tell my mom and dad," she settled for pleading instead, giving Brooke her best puppy dog face.

For a moment, Brooke was too surprised to say anything. Chilarie had always been the most level-headed, almost boring out of all the children. She just couldn't believe that it was Chilarie to pull something like this. She just stared at the blonde, knowing that both of her parents would freak out over this. "Let's see it," she said, and Chilarie obediently lifted her hair to show her the BC encased in a flaming heart on the back of her neck. "Does Brett have a matching one?" she couldn't help but laugh.

Shocked at Brooke's reaction-the last thing she had expected was laughter-she shook her head. "Honestly, no, and neither do my parents. They would flip," she trailed off, and then explained her reasoning before Brooke could ask. "I love him, though, and I know no one thinks this will work out, but I do. I believe it's going to last with all my heart, and even if it doesn't, I want something that will always remind me of how I feel right now," she said.

Staying silent, Brooke mulled this over. She could see the love in Chilarie's eyes, but she just wasn't sure if it was a puppy love, or the real thing. She also wasn't sure if she should keep this secret from her best friend or not. "What exactly do you feel right now?" she asked, because if this was the real thing, Brooke had a feeling she would be able to tell by the way Chilarie described it, if she could even describe it. True love is hard to define.

Taking in a deep breath, Chilarie tried to find the words. She knew this was a test of some sort from her Aunt Brooke and she didn't want to fail it. She decided to just speak from her heart. "He makes me feel safe," she said, then, noticing Brooke's kinked eyebrow, she went on. "I mean, yeah, my whole life had been pretty sheltered, given my parents, but when I'm with Brett, I felt safe, like home. It's hard to fit in with a family with eight children, but when I'm with Brett, I feel like I'm meant to be right there, and nowhere else."

That was a new one, Brooke decided, but she couldn't deny that she had always felt that way with Rachel. Chilarie wasn't finished, though. "Then there's the obvious signs. When I'm around him, he makes my heart race, and looking into his eyes, I feel loved, like I'm the only girl in the world. I know he has a past, and I know he used to be a bad guy, but I feel like when I'm around him, I can just be myself, and he loves me anyway. Also, I'm pretty sure he lets me beat him in basketball," she added, as if that decided things.

Of course, Brooke, who had always been more into the cheerleading than the actual game she was cheering for, didn't understand the last one, but the rest she could relate too, and so she decided she wasn't going to tell Peyton or Lucas. "I won't tell your parents." Chilarie looked relieved. "You will, though," she added, and her shoulders slumped. "Hey, if they give you any grief, tell your dad, at least, that he has no right," she said with a firm nod.

This surprised Chilarie more than anything else, as she got Brooke's meaning. Her jaw dropped. "No way. My dad has a tattoo? He who has always preached the stupidity of permanently marking your body for a reason that most likely wouldn't be permanent? I can not believe this. He's such a hypocrite," she said, still in shock, crossing her arms as she went on, listing all the things her dad had told her was wrong with tattoos.

Laughing, Brooke cut her off. "Yup, your dad has a tattoo. At least, I imagine he hasn't gotten it removed. I convinced him to get it when we were still dating. I have a matching one, actually. It's an ancient symbol for fun," she explained, getting to her feet, and grabbing the compact out of her purse, checking to make sure that her make-up didn't look too bad. "I'm going to go talk to Chase, don't let your parents give you too much grief," she gave Chilarie a hug and then walked across the cemetery.

Instead of sticking around to watch Brooke and Chase, Chilarie immediately turned in the direction of her car. She did pause for a moment, to say something to Rachel's gravestone, though. "I think Chase is her one shot at happiness, now that you're gone, and while I know she won't ever be able to love Chase like she loved you, I think she has a very good shot of loving him in a different way. I know you'd want her to be happy, and I think she can be. I love you, and I miss you," she placed a kiss on her fingers, and placed them on her aunt's name before leaving.

With no where to go, Chilarie just drove around town for a while, before she ended up at the Rivercourt. She was surprised that both Nicci and James were there, because both of them were her best friends, but they weren't exactly friends with each other. She turned off her car, grabbed her basketball, and approached the two of them, who were sitting on the bleachers. "We figured you'd end up here eventually," Nicci shrugged when she noticed Chilarie's look.

Smiling wryly, she started a one-on-one game with James, as Nicci sat and cheered her on. She had to stop in the middle and grab a drink from the water bottle that Nicci had brought. She stood there, for a minute, wondering how they came to be here, the day before the school year starting, just hanging out, no boyfriends, girlfriends, or anyone else to get in the way. She realized that this was how they'd started every year previous.

Barely stopping herself from asking where Kate was, Chilarie managed to control her sarcastic side for once. She started laughing instead. "You know, it just fits us, that no matter what else changed this year, we still have each other, and we managed to start our junior year like we always have," she shared the irony with her friends. "I'm glad that we still have this. No matter how much life interferes, we still have our friendship," she said, before starting to play basketball again.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

The next morning, Chilarie woke up to a text from Brett, and she smiled. She knew he didn't have any classes before ten, but he still managed to get up early enough to text her before she went to school. It was sweet, and she sent him a text back that read: Aw, good morning to u 2 hotshot have fun with your classes and i'll have fun starting junior year without you :'( u can go back to sleep now love you and miss you! smooches.

For a moment, Chilarie just lay there. She knew she should be getting up so she could get in the shower, or her sister would use all the hot water, but she really just wanted to lay in bed and think about Brett for a moment. He would be starting his classes today. His coed classes. With other girls. Hot college girls. She knew she had no reason to be jealous, because he loved her, but honestly, it was a little intimidating.

Putting it all out of her mind, she jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom, because she just heard Baley's alarm clock go off. She took a quick shower, and was interrupted halfway through by an incessant banging on the door, that didn't stop until she opened it. She decided that she would be gracious and let her little sister have the bathroom, since Baley was starting her freshman year. She wrapped a towel around herself and headed to her bedroom to get dressed, her hair up in another towel.

The petite blonde didn't even notice her mother until she heard Peyton's shrill voice. "What the hell is that?" She instantly reached a hand up to cover her neck, while the other held up her towel, while she spun to face her mother. She sent her a wide-eyed, pleading look, which didn't placate Peyton in the least. "We will talk about that later. Get your skinny ass in your room and get dressed. I'm going to go speak to your father about this," she said, sending a glare to her daughter before continuing down the hall.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Chilarie retreated to her room, then remembered what Brooke had said. She didn't need to freak out over this. If they tried to ground her, she could just say that her dad had a tattoo, too, and since he had been with Aunt Brooke when he had gotten it, he had gotten his for love, too, and so they couldn't be mad about this without being hypocrits. She tried to convince herself of that as she decided what to wear.

Since Brett wasn't going to be there, she didn't really have anyone she needed to impress, but still, she wanted to look good. She put on a green camo miniskirt, a black tank top, her leather jacket and her black Converse. She had her shoulder bag packed already, and she left her hair down it its usual mass of unruly curls. She kept her make-up mostly natural, except for her bright red lipstick. She took a picture with her phone and sent it to Brett, because she had promised she would, and then she left her room.

As she had expected, Peyton called her into the living room just as she left her room. Chilarie rolled her eyes as Jalisa went running past, telling her that she was in trouble. She trudged down the stairs and into the living room, where she found both of her parents. Lucas stared at her for a moment in the doorway. "I swear, you couldn't look more like your mother if you tried," he said in amazement. "This one is up to you, Peyt," he added, looking at his wife.

Narrowing her eyes playfully at Lucas, she stuck her tongue out at him. "You and your weakness for the Sawyer genes," she said, though she really couldn't blame him. She took another look at Chilarie and saw exactly what she had looked like in high school. It was almost creepy. She had to focus on the reason she was mad, though, or she'd never be able to punish the teenager that had wrapped her tightly around her finger as soon as she was born, the same as her father was wrapped around it.

Sighing, her gaze narrowed at her daughter, and not playfully at all this time. "Show me," she said, and Chilarie turned her back on her mother, lifting the hair off of her neck once more, deciding silence was best. She had to admit, the tattoo was done nicely, but still, she wouldn't admit it outloud. "What were you possibly thinking when you decided to mark your body permanently. Tell me, I really want to know," she said, cocking her eyebrow as her daugther turned to face her once more.

Not really wanting to explain once again to her parents what she felt, she threw up her hands. "I don't know, Mom, maybe because I love him? I can't stop thinking about him, when I'm with him, when I'm not with him. Being away from him physically hurts, and when I am with him, it feels like I'm reuniting with a piece of myself I didn't even know I was missing. If I can look back at this tattoo later in life, and remember this feeling, then, I'm going to be okay with that," she glared back at her mother.

Sighing, Peyton blew a strand of hair out of her face. She really could tell her daughter was in love, for the first time, and she was happy for her. She wouldn't condone tattoos, but she was still happy for her eldest daughter. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way, really, but you're still grounded. A week, no television. You go to and from school, and Tric, and that's it," she said firmly, knowing that Chilarie was going to protest.

Which, she immediately did, bringing up what Brooke had told her to bring up. "Hey, that's so not fair. Dad has a tattoo that he got when he was in high school with Aunt Brooke. I wasn't drunk when I got mine, at least. Does that count for anything?" she looked from her mother to her father, and realized it didn't. Peyton noticed Baley and had to run off to yell at her other teenaged daughter for her outfit, leaving the rest of the conversation up to Lucas. "Come on, Dad," Chilarie pleaded.

The puppy dog face. Of course Chilarie would use it on him. It wasn't working, though, for once. "Sorry, Hope, but rules are rules. You didn't even talk to us first, and if we don't set the example with you, Bebe will think she can run around and do whatever she wants. Neither of us will budge on this one," he sent his daughter a sympathetic look. "If it makes you feel any better, the only reason I didn't get into major trouble for mine was because I was living with Dan and Deb," he lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

That, of course, didn't make Chilarie feel any better. She kept pouting and staring at her dad, who just shook her head. "Not gonna work, kiddo, I'm serious. You have little brothers and sisters to set an example for. Besides, you should be glad we're not taking away your phone, too," he said, and her eyes widened in horror. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said as they went to the kitchen for breakfast.

As Chilarie headed for the backdoor, after grabbing an apple to eat, Lucas stopped her. "You don't need to pick up James, because he's taking his sisters in the car he got as a late birthday present this summer, but you do need to take your sister, and I said you'd pick up Lily. I also imagine you're picking up Nicci," he asked her, and she nodded. "Yeah, you'll probably want to leave soon then," he gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then headed into the other room, because Peyton was calling for him.

Frozen for a minute, Chilarie had to acknowledge how weird this was. Every single school year previous, even though Nicci was a year behind them, Chilarie, James, and Nicci had ridden to school together. Chilarie hadn't gotten her car until her birthday last year, so she hadn't had it at the beginning of the year. So this would really be the first year they wouldn't be really starting the school year together. Did that mean the rest of the year was going to be just as different?

**A/N: **_I know I said the last chapter would be the last for this story, but what can I say? I just couldn't end it there. I have an unstoppable urge to write this fic, and I only hope people are actually reading it._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	15. Ch14: New Guy

**When Baley finally made it outside, in an outfit that showed off less skin, Chilarie made her sit in the back as she drove to Nicci's, texting Nicci as she pulled out of the driveway, so her best friend would just run out of the house when she got there. A few minutes later, she picked up her aunt, and then the four of them were off to school. **

**As Chilarie headed toward the school, Lily and Baley were both babbling about what they expected high school to be like, and Nicci and Chilarie both stayed silent, knowing that it's not always as exciting as the two were making it out to be, and they'd realize that eventually. They both remembered what they had been like the day of the start of their respective freshmen years, and neither of them still felt the same way about school.**

**When she finally was parking the car, Chilarie told Baley and Lily that she had tutoring after school, so she'd be at least an hour before she would be able to drive them home. They both replied that they had cheerleading practice anyway, so that would be perfect, and then they both went to find their lockers and their other friends, leaving Chilarie and Nicci to find James, who had just pulled into a parking place a few spots away from Chilarie's Comet. **

**They walked over to him as he was getting out of the car, Jessica and Bethany both getting out of the back as well. The twins immediately ran off to find their other friends, leaving the group of three alone. "Are y'all ready for a new school year?" Nicci spoke just to fill the silence, as the three of them started walking toward the building.**

**Blowing out a sigh, Chilarie finally admitted out loud a decision she had made a while ago. "I'm going to try out for the girls basketball team this year," she said, and the other two didn't quite know what to say to that, or what had broght on the decision. They would support her, though, even if she'd always said she disliked organized sports, or playing on a team.**

**As soon as they got closer to the school, Kate started walking toward the three, and James, seeing his girlfriend, waved. He looked at Chilarie and Nicci, a slightly hesitant look on his face, but they both waved him along, telling him it was no big deal, they'd catch up later, and he went over to Kate, meeting her in a hug and linking hands with her before they walked off.**

**Shaking her head, Chilarie threw an arm around Nicci's shoulders. "And then there were two," she said, elicting a small laugh from the brunette. She looked around, seeing James and Kate, Bethany with Lily and a group of other freshman, and her sister, with Jessica, and a group of older, popular girls who were on the cheerleading squad. "Come on," she linked her arm through Nicci's and then started for the building.**

**Before they could make it very far, a guy walked into her path, and before she could stop herself, she ran right into a solid chest, dropping the books she held in one arm. "Hey, watch it," she said as she pushed away from him, noticing that his biceps were as well toned as his chest, and he wasn't even flexing, she didn't think. She looked up into the darkest eyes she had ever seen. They were so brown, they were almost black.**

**Mystery guy was unabashed as he looked back at here. "I'm new here, I'm looking for the administration building," he said, as she bent to pick up her stuff. Nicci bent to help her, but this guy she had never seen before-she was sure, because Tree Hill was so small, everyone knew everyone else-didn't bother to help the girls. He stood there with the map of campus he had been reading in his hand, just oozing confidence.**

**Something about him immediately irked her. "It's right there," she pointed to the building closest to them. "You know, the one with Admin. written on it," she snarked as she straightened, looking up at him. Nicci rose next to her, but stayed silent. He looked unabashed still, as effortlessly cool as if he had planned all of this. With his attitude, she wasn't sure he didn't.**

**Smirking, a smirk that immediately annoyed Chilarie, like nearly everything else about him, he just shrugged, adjusting his backpack on his shouder, and tucking the map into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled out his phone and started typing a text, like the girls had nothing better to do than wait for him to get out of their way. "You know, you seem to know the campus pretty well for a freshman. You can show me around," he said just as Chilarie was pushed past him.**

**Stopping in her tracks, she turned back to face him again. It wasn't so much that he had mistaken her for a freshman. It was more the fact that he said she 'could' show him around, like he would be doing her the favor by allowing her to spend time in his presence. "You know what, jackhole, I think I have better things to do than be suffocated by your amazing ego, and I'm a junior," she couldn't help but correct, turning to walk away from him again.**

**Chuckling, he still didn't seem bothered by any of this. "No way. You're a short junior. What are you, 4'5"?" he asked, which only served to piss her off more, so she decided to ignore him and continue walking, without bothering to give him a response. The last thing she heard as she and Nicci walked away, was his laughter, as if her anger was amusing to him.**

**Staying silent all the way to her locker, she opened it quickly, because the bell had rang during her exchange with the new guy. Nicci, who had a locker next to hers, was opening hers as well, and looked a little bothered by the way Chilarie was slamming things around. "Stupid new guy, acting like he knows everything about me. Like he's God's gift to women. Well it may be a shocker to him, but he's not," she muttered, slamming her locker when she finished.**

**Softly closing her own locker, Nicci turned to look at her best friend. "Hey, why are you getting so upset about it? I mean it's not like you're going to have to be around him if you don't want to. What does it matter to you what he thinks?" she asked, stopping Chilarie as she pondered this. "I've got to get to class, before I'm late, but I'll see you later," she walked of, leaving Chilarie to think.**

**Late to her class, it was worse, because the new guy was in her first period class. She rolled her eyes and took the only seat left in the room, and thankfully it was on the opposite side of the room as him. "Miss Scott, I think we have had this conversation before. I don't tolerate tardiness, and I don't make acceptions for the first day of school. Don't let it happen again," the teacher, on whom Chilarie had had before, said.**

**Knowing that the teacher was just trying to appear stern for all the students he'd never taught before, Chilarie muttered an apology and started getting out her stuff so she could take notes as he began the lecture. Chilarie didn't care much for history, but the last couple years, this teacher had made it fun for her, and that was why she had requested him again this year. She wasn't sure she wanted to put up with the new guy, though.**

**Just as she thought that, a folded up piece of paper came flying at her, and landed neatly on her notebook. She glanced around the room, hoping against hope it was from one of the girls she knew in the class, even the ones she didn't like, anyone but him, but he was the only one looking at her. She grimaced as she unfolded the paper. It read: I still don't believe you're a junior.**

**Fuming, she crumpled the paper and, since the teachers back was turned as he wrote on the board, she tossed it towards the garbage can from her seat, making it in. It was a small triumph, but she couldn't help the grin on her face, despite the fact that she was still mad about what the note had said. She made a point of writing down what the teacher had written on the board, not looking at him once.**

**Before lunch, she had two more classes with him. She sat on the opposite side of the room from him both times, but she did learn that his name was Riley. Riley Williams. She immediatly disliked the name, but James was also in those two classes, so she sat next to him, texting him every time Riley did something annoying. She got great pleasure out of making fun of everything he did.**

**Once ten o'clock rolled around, she began texting Brett, too, and she chose not to mention Riley for now. He was just an annoyance to her, not something she really needed to tell her boyfriend about. She wasn't sure why she felt that way, but she didn't think Brett needed to know, unless something else happened, and she didn't think it would.**

**After lunch, she had another class with him, and James wasn't in it. The teacher had a seating chart and she was forced to sit next to him. James was in her last class and she texted the whole time about how irritating Riley was, and the way she ignored him every time he tried to talk to her. She kept on talking about it the whole period, and James stopped texting back after fifteen minutes. Not that that stopped Chilarie.**

**After school, Riley found her at her locker. "I'm still not convinced you're a junior," he said as he leaned casually against the locker next to hers. "I mean, you could just be in advanced classes, and all the electives we have together don't prove anything. Maybe you can find a way to prove to me that you're a junior," he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.**

**Her jaw dropped and before she could stop herself, she had smacked him in the arm. "What the hell is your problem? I happen to have a boyfriend, okay, and even if I didn't, I wouldn't go out with you. Newsflash, not everyone loves you, and even if they do, it's only because of your looks, but not because of who you are. Excuse me, I have a student to tutor. I actually have a life, I don't go around harrassing people," she slammed her locker closed and stormed off.**

**After she got to the tutor center she realized her student wasn't there, so she decided to get out her work and get it done. She was so annoyed, she powered right through her homework, which was mainly first-day-of-school, getting-to-know-you-stuff, finishing it all before she realized her student still wasn't there. She hadn't even looked at the paper, to know who she was supposed to be tutoring. **

**Of course, it was only the beginning of the year, so she had no idea who would need a tutor already, but she had been asked to be here, so here she was. She wasn't going to wait any longer though. She put her stuff away and stood, getting ready to leave, but the door to the tutor center opened and in strolled in... Riley. She froze in her tracks.**

**Looking around, he spotted her, and grinned that cocky smirk at her. "No, no no no! I refuse to believe this. I will not be your tutor! Where the hell have you been anyway, I saw you over half an hour ago, and you were supposed to be here right then. So where the heck have you been? No, it doesn't matter, because I refuse to tutor you. Find someone else," she left the room before he could say anything.**

**When she made it to her car, Nicci was already there, sitting inside and doing her homework because Chilarie had given her the keys earlier. She got in and slammed the door shut. She almost started the car and pulled out of the spot, before she realized she had to wait for her sister and Lily. "Take a chill pill, Chil, what's your deal?" Nicci asked, looking up from her notebook and over at her best friend.**

**Slamming her head against the head rest and sighed. "Guess who they wanted me to tutor today? I'll tell you. Riley Williams," she said, and Nicci hadn't been around at lunch, because she'd had to leave in the middle of the day for a orthodontist appointment, and she had come back after, so Chilarie had to go into the whole story. "He's been irritating me all day, and then, he showed up late for the tutoring. So I walked. He can find a different tutor," she finished.**

**Cocking her eyebrow, Nicci had stayed silent as she had taken it all in, and now she stayed silent for a little longer, wondering what to say. "Should I be worried?" she finally asked, and Chilarie cocked her head in confusion. "I mean last year, you fell for the jackass, and changed him. Should I be worried that you're going to do the same thing again?" she asked.**

**For a moment, Chilarie's mouth hung open in shock. "What's your problem?" she said, still staring at Nicci. "I mean it, Nic, what crawled up your ass and died? I happen to be in love with Brett, and no, I don't plan on doing the same thing. I can't believe you're reacting like this. I should expect some support from my best friend, but I guess I won't get it," she shot back.**

**Because she was in such a fowl mood, Chilarie didn't stop there, she kept right on going. "You know what, I bet you're jealous. I understand that. Just because no guy has ever asked you out without intentions of using you, doesn't mean you can freak out at me any time I get a guy that is interested in me," she snapped her mouth shut and instantly wished she could take back the words, but Nicci didn't give her the chance.**

**Spotting James headed for his car, and all the girls coming as well, Nicci opened the door to the Comet, gathering her things. "Oh, yeah, Chilarie, I'm jealous. I really want every jackass in school to like me. Newsflash: Riley doesn't like you. He doesn't even know you. He just wants to screw you because you were the first one who caught his interest. Grow up. I'm riding home with James. Don't bother picking me up tomorrow, or ever," she slammed the car door.**

**Mouth agape, Chilarie was frozen in her spot. She wanted to go after her best friend, but it was all she could do to control her tears and Lily and Baley were in the car now anyway. She drove to Lily's house, and Baley got out there as well, so she drove to the Rivercourt instead of home, calling her boyfriend as soon as she was sure his class was over.**

**Already with tears welling in her eyes, he could immediately tell something was wrong, though she tried to keep it together. She wasn't able to keep the tears in once he began questioning her, though, and she told him the whole story around her sobs. "I didn't mean to say it like that, but she got me upset and I say things I don't mean when I'm upset. I love you, Brett, you do know that, right?" she wiped her eyes.**

**Without pause, he answered her. "Of course I know that, Chilarie. I trust you. Don't let Nicci make you think I don't. You do know you'll never feel better about the situation unless you apologize, though, so get off the phone with me, and then call her. If she takes your call, she wants to make up, if not, there's not much you can do about it," he told her.**

**Feeling extremely grateful that she had him to talk to, she continued to tell him about the rest of her day, partly because she was procrastinating before calling Nicci, but also just because she loved to talk to him. He knew that, but he told her about his first class anyway, and allowed her to procrastinate. She had to let him go when he had to get to his next class, though. He promised to call her as soon as it got out, and they exchanged 'I love you's.**

**To procrastinate some more, she spent some time shooting hoops, and James arrived as she was doing that. "Hey, what's up? I mean, it's not everyday when Nicci rides with me, and then says not a word the whole way home. Not to mention she looked like she was about to cry at any moment. So tell me, Hope, what happened?" he said, grabbing the ball before she could throw it at the hoop again.**

**Wiping the sweat off of her forehead, she paced a few paces away, and then turned back to look at him, this time managing to keep her tears at bay instead of letting them spill over. She just shrugged, not sure how long she could keep the tears at bay if she started talking about it. "I knew it must be something bad, when your mom told me that you hadn't come home yet. Really, Hope, what's up?" he asked, moving to take a seat on the bleachers.**

**Following him over, she sighed and slumped onto the bench next to him. "Okay, alright, I'll tell you, but only because you're my best friend," she paused, then delved into the story. "So, basically she called me a slut and said that guys are after me for sex, when I've only had two major relationships, and I'm still with the last guy I kissed, and that's the most I've ever done," she finished, running out of breath.**

**Holding up his hands, he waited for her to stop talking, because this conversation was getting a little awkward for two cousins, even if they were best friends. She would usually talk about this kind of stuff with Nicci, which was obviously out of the question right now. "Okay, yeah, sorry, too much information. I get it, but anyway. I don't know what to do. I kind of feel like she freaked out on my over nothing, and I don't know why," she added.**

**Instead of responding immediately, he waited until she managed to control the tears that wanted to escape. "Hey, go talk to her about it. You guys are best friends and you've been best friends forever. Just apologize to her, and then she'll apologize to you and you can put this all behind you. That's how it's always worked in the past," he comforted her.**

**Blowing out a sigh, she slumped against him. "I just don't know. This doesn't feel the same as other times, Jamie. You know if it was just a pride thing, I wouldn't jeopardize my best friend over it, but it doesn't feel like that. It kind of felt like she meant those things, like some part of her had been holding this in for a while, and I can't believe she'd think that about me," she cried.**

**Of course, James had nothing to say to that. At least, nothing he could think of immediately. By the time he opened his mouth to say something, she shook her head. "No, don't bother. It's cool. I've got to get home, probably be time for dinner soon. I'll see you later, James, and thank you for the talk, really. Thanks, a lot," she abandoned her basketball, got in her car and peeled out as she left.**

**A/N: What did you think of this chapter? I thought I'd add a new character into the mix, stir things up a little. Tell me what you think? Do you like Riley? Should he continue to be in the story, as her student, or do you think she should stick by her decision not to tutor him? Let me know, and I'll try to go with what the majority of you want. I hope I'll be able to update soon. Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but it's hard with no internet. More reviews will help me update faster, hint hint.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to One Tree Hill.**


	16. Ch15: To Tutor or not to Tutor

When Chilarie got home, she wasn't surprised to find Peyton waiting for her. She had figured Nicci would have talked to her mom by now, and Keirah would, of course, have called Peyton because one always called the other when their children were fighting. She took her seat on the couch next to her mother with a sigh. "So, what wonderfully sage advice do you have for me this time, Mom?" she asked, looking over at her mother.

Unable to stop the chuckle, Peyton shook her head. "You know, I wish I hadn't been so sarcastic as a teen. It really does come back to bite me in the ass, and I can definitely take comfort in the fact that your children will be just as sarcastic as you are. Good luck with that," she said to her daughter, who just rolled her eyes, deciding not to reply as she waited for whatever her mom had to say. "I'm only going to say one thing, then you can do whatever you want," she assured her daughter.

Taking a deep breath, she leveled her eldest daughter with a look. "Listen, I'm not going to force you to make up with Nicci. I'm only going to tell you that a best friend is the best thing you get in life, and you shouldn't let a guy get between you and yours. You've got to decide what is more important: your pride, or the best friend who's been there for you your whole life," she paused, letting it sink it. "That's it, you're free to go," she said after a minute or two.

Still chewing on what Peyton had told her, Chilarie headed up to her room. She knew what was more important, of course, but in this she felt she needed to give it some time, because they had both said hurtful things, and sometimes all you needed was some time to lick your wounds, before all would be okay again. She put a CD on and lay on her bed as the music flowed through her for a while, because she did some of her best thinking just like this.

Of one issue, she was certain of what she was going to do. She was definitely not going to tutor Riley. She had taken on Brett when he was a jackass, but that was not what she planned on doing this year. She didn't want to deal with anymore jackasses. Riley could find some other tutor, someone who would fall for all his bull and swoon over him for all she cared, but that wasn't her, and it wouldn't be her.

For a week, things carried on much the same way. The rest of the first week of school passed, and Nicci continued to get a ride with James, and Chilarie kept pretending like what her best friend had said to her wasn't killing her. Riley kept trying to talk to her, and she ignored him, but it seemed every time he got near her, Nicci was always around, and all she saw was the two of them together, even if nothing was happening.

Luckily, that weekend, Brett wasn't drowning in homework yet, so he was able to come and visit her. They spent most of the days at his beach house, where she could pretend the rest of the world didn't exist, and this hadn't been the worst first week of school she'd ever experienced. Acually, this had been the worst week she'd ever experienced, because at least when her friends had practically abondoned her for dating Brett, she had still had Brett and Nicci beside her.

Now it was her best friend who had abondoned her, and since Nicci was with James alot, she couldn't hang out with him either. To make the whole thing worse, all week she hadn't even had her boyfriend around to cuddle with. He told her everything was going to be okay every time she talked to him on the phone, but she needed his arms around her more than anything, because that was all the comfort she needed. She soaked up as much comfort as she could during the weekend before he went back to school.

Monday came and went in the same fashion, and Chilarie didn't even have her sister to hang out with at school because Baley was always too busy hanging out with her cheerleader friends. Chilarie was beginning to think that this was how the whole school year was going to be, and she decided that a couple more days of this and she was going to beg her mom to set it up for her to go on tour, no matter what she had previously decided.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. Tuesday after school, Chilarie was just about to leave when there was a knock on the her car window. She hadn't even bothered waiting for Nicci, or her sister and Lily, who had practice. She still didn't have anyone who needed a tutor yet, so she had been ready to get off campus as soon as school ended. She had even taken her books with her to her last class, so she hadn't needed to stop at her locker.

When she looked up, she expected to see Riley, ready to bother her some more, but she was pleasantly surprised to see Nicci. She rolled down the window, since the top was up on the Comet, and she looked at her best friend, not waiting for her to speak. "Neese, I'm so sorry. I know I was a bitch, and I should have said sorry before now, but I haven't seen you alone, and I didn't want to do this in front of anyone, or on the phone," she took a deep breath, and Nicci took her chance.

Even as Chilarie opened her mouth to continue, Nicci started talking. "No, I was the bitch. I guess I was just jealous, because you have Brett, and even though we've both been on the sidelines, you have always been able to be one of the popular ones. You've always been the one who attracted guys attention, and I was jealous because Riley went after you, and not me," she broke off, looking down, and Chilarie could tell Nicci hadn't wanted to say that.

Immediately, Chilarie read between the lines, and she let out a gasp. "You like him. You like Riley," she said, as sure as she would have been if she were talking about the color of the sky. She paused a minute, and when Nicci didn't deny it, she knew it was the truth. She couldn't help but blurt out, "Why?" and at Nicci's blush, she almost wished she hadn't. "He's such a jackass, Nicci. You deserve better than that," she added.

Blowing her bangs out of her face, and throwing her long black hair over her shoulder, Nicci just shrugged. "I can't explain it, Hope, really. Just like you couldn't explain why you liked Brett when he was still a jackass. I can't explain why I like him. I just do. I know he could never like me though, so can we just pretend he doesn't exist and get back to being best friends," she looked up to meet her eyes.

Taking a moment to consider, not because she didn't want to be friends, but because she didn't know if they should ignore Riley's existence, she finally nodded, with a grin, and gestured to the seat next to her. "Need a ride?" she asked, and Nicci nodded, walking around to the other side of the car to get in. Chilarie was glad the fight was over, but she couldn't help but feel like this was the beginning of something else.

Unable to describe the feeling of warning that settled in her, she ignored it, and for the rest of the week, she enjoyed her life with things back to what she had thought normal would be this year, talking to her boyfriend every day, and hanging out with her best friend all the time. Friday came, and she was excited to leave school, because she and Nicci were having a sleepover at her house.

Her excitement lasted until just before lunch, when she was caught as she was passing a classroom, and someone pulled her inside. She turned, wondering who it was, and when she saw Riley, she almost started yelling at him, until she saw the look on his face. He looked like a man out of options. "I'm not the kind of guy to beg for help, but I guess that's what I'm doing here, Hope. I'm begging you for help," he looked at her imploringly.

Staying silent, she crossed her arms and waited for his explanation. "I have been kicked out of enough schools that if I don't pass all my classes this year and next, I'll be forced to not only give up sports, I'll have to give up hopes of a regular high school diploma. I have to pass every class, this year and next, or thats it for me. This is my first test of the year," he handed her his test that they had both gotten back today.

The big 'F' on it made her eyes go wide, because she didn't know how he had any hope if he couldn't pass the first test of the year. She looked up at him, saw the pleadin in his eyes, and for the first time, saw the real guy behind his jackass persona. She almost said yes then, but she remembered Nicci, and she shook her head. "No, I can't. Get help from someone else," she said, pushing the test back at him and turning to leave.

Grabbing her arm he spun her around to look at him. "No, I can't get anyone else. You're the best tutor this school has, and the only hope I have left. No one else is good enough, and besides, I don't want it getting around this school that I need the tutoring. I'm stuck here for the next two years, and I don't want people to know I'm stupid enough to need a tutor already. Please," he begged her.

Feeling her resolve slipping, she pulled out of his grasp, and turned away for a minute, needing to think. She turned back, and glared up at him. "Okay, but we do this by my rules. If you don't want anyone to know, no one knows. I mean no one. I won't tell my friends, you don't tell anyone. No one knows we're even hanging out. We meet in secret, and only as long as you're serious about this," she said firmly, thinking of Nicci.

If Nicci found out from someone else, it was going to be a huge fight, but they had just agreed to ignore Riley completely. She didn't want to lose her best friend for agreeing to this. If no one knew, she wasn't going to tell Nicci. This just might work. Chilarie should have known it wouldn't, but she was too nice to keep turning him down, and she didn't want anything to rock the boat of her friendship, not with things the way they were right then.

With a sigh, she stopped him before he could leave. "I want to meet you tomorrow at seven. I know you'll have football practice at 9 and we're going to study at the docks from 7 to 9. Tell no one at this school. If you tell, or if you don't bother to show up, that's it. We're done. I will not tolerate your screwing around," she said. Too much was at stake, but she didn't add that. She just left the room, glancing around to make sure no one saw her.

The whole afternoon she spent with Nicci, she felt like she was always looking over her shoulder, so to speak. She jumped at practically nothing, and she knew if she kept acting weird, Nicci was definitely going to figure it out, so she said she was feeling sick to get out of the sleepover. She couldn't have Nicci over early in the morning anyway, not if she didn't want her to know she was leaving.

Of course, Nicci believed she was sick, but it meant she had to get her mom to believe it too, so Peyton was tending to her all night, and she gave her a time limit on how long she could talk to Brett. Chilarie was bummed that Brett hadn't been able to come see her this weekend, but she was also glad he wasn't around to catch her in the lie she had weaved around herself. She didn't know what she was going to do.

It was going to be hard to keep this a secret from everyone, but she reasoned that maybe she wouldn't have to forever. Maybe one say she would be able to tell Nicci, and everyone else, and she wouldn't freak out, and things would be okay. Maybe. She tried to convince herself of that, anyway. It helped ease her conscience, at least a very little bit. Not for long, but for a little while.

When the morning came around, she woke up to a text from Brett, as per usual. She texted him back, and jumped into the shower, so she could make it on time. She managed to get ready quickly, and she told her mom she was going to go shoot hoops. She wished she could go to the Rivercourt, but she had to drive right on by, on her way to the docks. She got a cup of coffee and arrived at 6:45.

By the time she finished her up of coffee, it was 7:30, and there was still no sign of Riley. She was fuming, but she decided to stick around, and get her own homework done. She kept working until 8, when she finally saw his car pull up, and he sauntered over to her with a cup of coffee in each hand, sunglasses covering his eyes, and no schoolwork to be seen. "You're late," she said when he made it to her table.

Setting the coffee down in front of her, he sent her that cocky smirk and sat opposite her. "I didn't know there was a 7 on Saturdays. I got up then, but it takes time to look this good. I brought you coffee," he gestured to her cup and took a sip out of his own. His eyes were hidden behind the shades, but she didn't need to see them to know what he was thinking. It didn't help her mood in the least. "You could say thank you for the coffee," he added.

Before she realized what she was doing, she flung her hand out, knocking the coffee cup over, into his lap. She stood and angrily grabbed her books as she left. "One, I already had coffee, and two, I only drink coffee from Karen's Cafe," she walked a few steps and turned back to look at him. "I didn't ask you to meet me at 7 for you to show up late. Tomorrow you show up at 7 or you can fail for all I care," she fumed.

Opening his mouth, he tried to speak, but she wasn't done. "No, damnit, I am putting my ass on the line for you, I will not have you screw around. Either you take this seriously, or I won't work with you. School work doesn't give a damn about who you are, or how good you play sports, and neither do I. I don't care about your looks or your coffee. You can't buy me off. Do this my way, or I won't bother at all," she didn't give him a chance to speak before she left.

Shaking with anger, she drove to the Rivercourt, because she did have a basketball in her car, and she needed to let off some steam. She got a call from her boyfriend as he was on his way to his study group, and she couldn't play off her anger, she spilled everything to him. "I don't even know if he deserves this. He is such a jackass. If he doesn't care, why should I?" she fumed, laying on the grass next to the court, remembering the times she had spent here with Brett, and wishing he were with her now.

Of course, she had known exactly what he would say, and he didn't disappoint. "You know I love you, Hope, but you've got to be honest with Nicci. It'd be a pretty crappy thing for you to do if you lie to her like this, especially since you guys just got over the last fight you had about this Riley dude. You know she'll find out about it eventually, so you should tell her before she does, and get it over with," he said.

Blowing out a sigh, she blew her bangs off of her forehead. "When did you get to be so smart, and wise?" she asked, playfully, trying to ignore what he was telling her, or at least put it off for a few minutes. She knew he was right, of course, and she knew she would have told Nicci anyway, she was just kind of scared to, because she now knew how Nicci felt about Riley, and she didn't think Riley was good enough to see what an awesome girl her best friend is.

Chuckling, he knew exactly what she was doing, but he didn't have time to scold her for it. "When I started dating this amazing girl, who taught me how to not be a jackass," he answered, and she had to admit, that was a pretty good answer. "I have to go to my study group, though. I will call you when it gets out, and I'll tell you more about my awesome girlfriend," he said, knowing that would make her smile.

Just as he thought, a smile spread across her face. "I love that you can make me smile even when I'm shaking mad," she said, picturing the smirk that she knew would be on his face. It amazed her that the same smirk she used to get so annoyed by, set her heart so aflutter now. "I love you," she waited until he said the words back before she hung up, about to get up to shoot hoops once more.

Before she could take two steps, she saw a person walking up, from the direction of the docks. She recognized Nicci immediately, and wondered if her best friend had been walking by the docks when she had been there with Riley. She hoped against hope that Nicci hadn't seen anything, but as the brunette approached, she realized she wasn't that lucky. "Um, hey," she said as she sat on the bench.

Without bothering with preliminaries, Nicci grabbed the basketball and threw it in the water. "I thought we don't lie to each other? I thought we were done with Riley? I thought you were my best friend? I guess all three of those things are false. I saw you just now, at the docks with him. You were going to tutor him and not tell me. Well, be my guest, but don't talk to me again," she ran away before Chilarie could explain.

Instead of going after her, Chilarie sank back on the bench, because she knew that Nicci was at least partially right. She had lied. She had promised to stay away from Riley, and she didn't. She had signed up to be a tutor so she could help him, though, and now she felt horrible, because it seemed Riley didn't want to be helped and she had ruined her friendship for nothing and now she didn't even have a basketball to play with.

**A/N: **_I threw in some more drama with Riley. I still don't know what you guys think of him. I would love it if you would tell me. I don't think I have much else to say about this chapter. Just give me some feedback, and I thank all my readers, and especially those who review._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything related to One Tree Hill._


	17. Ch16: New Friendships

With a sigh, James sat down next to his best friend and cousin. It was lunch time on Monday and she was sitting in the library, trying to avoid everyone. She had driven up to see Brett Saturday, making it just after his study group got out, and she had gotten in major trouble when she had returned home Sunday evening, but she didn't care much. She had needed her boyfriend, and since he hadn't been able to go to her, she had gone to him.

Since she had called her parents to tell them why she wouldn't be coming home Saturday night, her grounding would only last a week, and she thought it was well worth it, because she had gotten to spill the whole story to Brett, and get his advice. She had also gotten to see his dorm room, which he hadn't really needed to sneak her into, since it was a coed dorm. She wasn't sure she was happy about that.

It seemed that Brett was just as popular here as he had been back in Tree Hill, and his phone lit up often, with calls and texts from both guys and girls. Brett insisted that he wasn't interested in any of the girls in anything more than a platonic way, and she trusted him, really she did, but she was worried he wouldn't feel that way for long, when they were all here offering themselves up to him, and she wouldn't even sleep with him.

Even though he assured her time and time again, he respected her wishes and her morals, and he didn't care about sex anymore, she still knew that he was a guy, and they always thought about sex. It wasn't his fault; he couldn't help it. She tried not to dwell on that too long, though. She trusted that he wouldn't cheat on her, and even if there did come a time when he started caring about the sex again, she would deal with that issue when it came up.

On Sunday he gave her a massage, trying to work all the stress out of her back, as they talked, and she had to admit, as she was driving home, things felt a lot better than they had when she had been on her way to visit him, but that didn't last long. Her stress-free time lasted only until she got inside her house, when she got yelled at for twenty minutes straight for staying the night with her college-aged boyfriend, then twenty more minutes for making that drive without telling anyone.

By the time she had climbed into bed that night, she was wishing she had Brett there to remind her of all the reasons she shouldn't be stressed out, but she called him on the phone and talked to him until she fell asleep, and that kept her spirits lifted, until she had to wake up to go to school the next morning. She knew Nicci wouldn't want a ride from her, so she slept in until the last possible second, considering she still had to pick up Lily too.

As soon as she had arrived on campus, Chilarie had made herself scarce, avoiding anyone and everyone she knew. She had been the first one out of every one of the classes she had with Riley, and she hid out into the bathroom for the whole passing period, walking in only at the last second. She managed to avoid his gaze in the first couple of classes she had with him, but then in the next class she had with him, a note landed on her desk.

After a long moment of staring at it, she slipped it into her pocket without reading it. She remembered the words that Brett had said this weekend. "As your boyfriend, of course I don't want you hanging out with another guy, especially one who is allegedly 'hot,'" he had paused then, his face softening. "I know you, though, and I know you're a good person, and you're not going to be able to turn down a person in need of help."

Those words had really made her think. He expected her to help him, because Riley needed her, and she wasn't sure she wouldn't, despite the fact that her boyfriend didn't want her, too, and her best friend might end up hating her over it. She really wanted to turn Riley down, but his story had gotten to her, and she honestly didn't know what she was going to do. She did throw his unread note in the trash on the way out of the classroom, though.

When lunch had come around, she had gone straight to the library, and she had been sitting there, reading and listening to her Ipod, when the seat had moved. She knew it was James, even though she didn't look up, and she finished the page she was reading before looking at him, taking one earbud out of her ear and she cocked an eyebrow at him, deciding to wait and see whose side he was taking before saying anything.

Knowing his cousin as well as he did, he knew she wasn't going to say anything until he spoke. "Alright, Hope, will you at least tell me why you went behind Nicci's back to tutor Riley when you both decided to stay away from him?" he chose his words carefully, but he could tell by her expression that he probably shouldn't have used the words he did choose. There was no taking them back now, though.

Leveling him with a stare, she put her bookmark in her book, and paused her Ipod. "Only, James, if you first tell me why it is you've heard her side of the story first, and then come talk to me to get my side? You've never been that close to her, now it seems like you guys are closer than I am to either of you. Tell me why that is, and I'll answer your question," she didn't give him a chance to answer, but she grabbed her stuff and left the library.

Because she hadn't really thought about leaving, she hadn't considered why she had been hiding out in the first place, and it was definitely a mistake leaving her sanctuary, as she learned just a few moment after the door had closed behind her. Riley was standing not two feet in front of her, she noticed when she looked up from her bag, which she'd been looking down at as she had exited the library. She briefly thought about turning and running in the opposite direction, but he could probably catch her.

As if sensing her desire to run, he stepped closer before she could. "Would you please hear me out, Hope," he pleaded, and she crossed her arms and waited. He didn't hesitate before taking the chance she gave him. "On Saturday, as I was driving to meet you at the docks, I saw your friend hanging out near, and so I turned and went for coffee, hoping she would be gone by the time I got back, because I knew you didn't want her to know."

Her posture softened a bit, and he took that as a cue to go on. "I knew after an hour had passed and she was still there, that I had no choice anymore, because I didn't know your number, so I went over to you, and tried to play it casual, so she wouldn't know we had planned to meet, and you went off on me before I could quietly tell you what was going on," he finished explaining, and by now her arms were hanging at her sides.

Before she could say anything, he continued speaking. "Please, Hope, don't give up on me. I need to keep my grades up to stay off academic probation, and I need to stay on the team, or I'm screwed. The team is the only reason I'm still in school. I can't lose it. Please, I need your help," he pulled a paper out of his backpack and showed her the test they had just taken in a different class. There was a big red F written across the top.

Without taking the paper, she turned away from him, running her fingers through her loose curls with a sigh. She didn't want to do this, but he needed her. This was exactly why she had signed up for tutoring in the first place. She turned back to him and saw the anxious look that had replaced his usual smirk. "Okay, fine. We'll do this, but I'm telling my friends. I can't keep this a secret from them, because I'm not that person. Tomorrow, 6, same place as before," she turned again and walked away.

Instead of going where anyone else could find her, she hid out in her car for the rest of lunch, going back when she had to go to her next class. She wasn't looking forward to this whole confrontation with Nicci, but she wasn't going to go a whole extra week without talking to her best friend. She was going to get this worked out now, and if Nicci couldn't accept that Chilarie was going to tutor Riley, then that was Nicci's problem.

Actually, Chilarie never really gave thought to the fact that Nicci might not accept that Chilarie was going to tutor Riley. She was positive that her best friend was going to hear her explanation, they were going to apologize to each other, then forgive each other, and that was going to be that. She knew that making up with James would be easy too. She hadn't really been mad at him, after all, and she knew he would know that.

In her next class, she sat in the front row, with one of the girls she had been friendly with last year, when she hung out with Brett, and his crowd. She didn't really want to deal with Riley or James yet, so she chose not to. She exercised the same tactic in her next class, and then after school, she had to go to tutor a different student, in english, so it was complex enough where she had to focus only on the task at hand.

The tutoring session was over too quickly, and then she had to go home. She went to the Rivercourt, and passed the time between doing homework and playing basketball. She waited until Brett got out of his class before she called him, confessing to him what had happened to her that day. She did not expect his reaction. "I thought you weren't going to tutor him," he said as soon as she finished talking.

Because she had not had a good day already, she didn't take well to his tone. "And I thought I would have the support of my boyfriend. I guess that was just a little too much to ask for then?" she shot back, the only thing stopping her from hanging up being the fact that she had really wanted to talk to Brett, and she was willing to give him another chance to give the proper response.

After a moment during which he decided whether or not this was a battle he thought was worth fighting for, he answered. "I told you I didn't want you to tutor him. I said I didn't like the idea of you tutoring him from the beginning. I don't like it," he replied, letting out an exasperated sigh. She could picture the set in his jaw that came with his determined tone, but that didn't make her feel any better.

Letting out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding, she blew a curl off of her forehead. "I don't recall asking your permission. I also don't recall giving you permission to have girls surrounding you all the time. I mean, I was there this weekend. I saw how you live. I also know that I trust you, and I trust in us, and I have nothing to worry about. If you really have so little faith in me, I don't even know who we're trying to fool," she hung up her phone with a curse.

For the sole reason that it had caused a rift between her and Brett did she consider not tutoring Riley. She couldn't sacrifice her beliefs for him, though, if she wouldn't sacrifice them for her friends. She was going to have to stand strong in her decision in this, because she wasn't one to waver in her convictions. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she had to tutor Riley. She saw something in him, she wasn't sure what it was, but she knew there was something there.

Something in her was telling her that this was one of those fights that was going to be worth it in the end. She had started tutoring because she knew there would be people out there that needed her, and it was nice to feel like she was helping people. She couldn't give up on someone who really needed her. She had always been a person to follow her gut and her gut was saying she had to do this. She couldn't explain it. It just was.

Needing to get her mind of the argument with Brett, she got into her car and drove over to Nicci's. Keirah answered the door, and she sent Chilarie a smile, telling her before she could ask that Nicci was at James's house. She thanked the woman who was practically a second mother to her, and then went over to her Aunt and Uncle's house. She waited in the car and a few minutes later, the front door opened and Nicci stepped outside.

Getting out of her car, Chilarie leaned against it, crossing her arms over her chest and keeping her face expressionless as Nicci approached. She spoke up before Nicci could. "Yes, I was going to tutor him without telling you, and I'm sorry for that, because we promised not to have anything to do with him. It was wrong," she paused, going on before Nicci could prematurely forgive her. "I am still going to tutor him, though," she continued.

Before Nicci could protest, she went on. "I'm not interested in him, at all. We're going to have a strictly professional relationship, of course. I signed up to be a tutor to help people though, and I can't turn him down. I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but that's how it's going to be. I really don't want to lose our friendship over this. I mean, he's just a guy, but I guess that's up to you," she shrugged.

The silence stretched for so long, that Chilarie began to get worried. "I'm sorry, Hope. I guess I just can't accept that. We made a promise to each other. You know what a jackass he is, and yet you still choose him over me. I just don't think I can deal with that," she finally said, then turned and started running off down the street, not looking back and expecting that Chilarie wouldn't follow her.

Looking toward the house, Chilarie noticed James on the porch, as he started down the steps. She hadn't noticed when he had come outside, but it was obvious from the look on his face that he had heard enough. Chilarie spoke before he could. "Before you tell me how much you hate me, too, I just want to say I'm sorry. I was a uber bitch earlier, and you didn't deserve it. I'm glad you're friends with Nicci. She's going to need you now," she said.

Glancing at Nicci's figure, which was nearly a block away now, he looked back at his cousin. "I'm always going to have your back, Hope, but she's my friend, too. I understand why you were upset earlier. It's already forgotten," he shrugged, glancing down the road again, clearly wanting to go see if Nicci was alright, but not wanting to abandon Chilarie either.

Her sigh brought his attention back to her, and she gestured toward the girl who was moving startlingly fast, now nearly two blocks away, who had once been her best friend. "Go ahead. She's going to need someone to lean on. I'll be alright," she said, but he still looked hesitant. "Seriously, go," she insisted, forcing a smile, and giving him a small shove. "Go before she gets far enough that you won't be able to catch her," she added.

Finally giving in, he went after Nicci, and Chilarie watched until he caught up to her before she got into her car and drove away, going to long way just so she would avoid driving past the two of them. She didn't want to risk them seeing her lose her composure. She was relatively sure she wasn't going to, but that was a risk she didn't want to take. She needed to get home first, and fast.

It was hard for her to make it through dinner, pretending everything was okay, but Vanessa and Aiden were there, and so was Jason, and there was the wedding talk that she could mostly tune out, so she didn't really have to participate that much in the conversation. She almost lost it when Vanessa pulled her aside after dinner, before she could get up to her room, to ask her what was wrong, but she managed to keep it together and lie her butt off to get away.

Well, technically, it wasn't really a lie, what she said. She told Vanessa that she would be fine. That was the truth. She would be fine, sometime, of course she would be fine. The fact that she wasn't fine now was really only a lie of omission, and she thought that was stretching it. She had given Vanessa an honest answer, she just hadn't answered the question she knew Vanessa was really asking.

Once she was in her room, she turned on her music, then went out to her terrace, leaving the door open as she climbed onto the roof. She knew it was dangerous, but it was the place she did her best thinking, and if anyone tried to bother her, she could wipe her tears away before climbing off the roof. She couldn't believe all the things that had gone wrong today. She almost wondered if she wasn't wrong, and Riley wasn't worth it.

A part of her really wanted to cancel on him in the morning. She could cancel on him, then repair her friendship with Nicci, and make up with Brett and everything would be okay again. She knew that wasn't true, though. The damage was already done, and her pride, and her instincts wouldn't let her cancel on Riley. She was going to have to live with the decision she had made, and that was that.

**A/N:** _I thought I'd throw a little rift between Brett and Chilarie. They can't be a perfect couple all the time, because we all know that any real couple does fight sometimes, it's learning to get over those small fights that makes a good couple. Anyway, tell me what you thought, I always love to hear what y'all think._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	18. Ch17: New and Bigger Secrets

It took Chilarie a few minutes to come to consciousness, but when she did, she realized she was laying on her roof. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep on her roof. She could remember lying there last night, thinking, but the next thing she knew, it was now, the middle of the night. She realized her phone was ringing, and almost automatically answered it, until she recognized the ring tone. She briefly considered not answering, but then she realized Brett wouldn't be calling in the middle of the night unless he wanted to apologize, and the least she could do was hear him out.

Flipping it open, she yawned, trying to get a hello out as she did. She could hear his answering chuckle that let her know he had understood, but she could tell it was forced. She just waited, because this was his phone call, not hers, and she knew he had something to say. It took him a moment. "I couldn't sleep knowing that we're not okay," he finally said, softly. She kept waiting, because she had been asleep, but it hadn't really been an easy sleep. "I'm sorry, Little Scott. If you really want to do this, I can't stop you. I don't like him, but I trust you, and I love you and I'm sorry," he said.

Biting on her lip, she ran a hand through her hair. She was trying to clear her mind, which was still muddled with sleep. "Listen, I have a gut feeling about him. I can't explain it, but I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize us. I love you more than anyone else. You just have to trust me, and I'll trust you, and try not to be insanely jealous that all these other girls get to hang all over you and spend way more time with you than I get to," she added, a little bitterly. She instantly amended her tone. "No, I do trust you. I really do," she said, sincerely.

They talked a little bit more, but she yawned a few more times, and she could tell he was tired too, so they mutually decided it was time for bed, and they would talk after classes that day. She closed her phone and put it back in her pocket, and then just sat for a minute before climbing down and going into her room. She changed into pajamas, plugged her phone into the charger and crawled into bed, her last thoughts of Brett, and there was a smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep. She was able to sleep a lot more peacefully now that she'd talked to him.

In the morning, Chilarie was once again at the docks early in the morning. She was listening to her Ipod, waiting for Riley to show up. She was about ready to pack it up and leave, though. She was tired of waiting for his lazy butt to get out of bed and over to get tutored. If he wasn't going to be serious about this, she wasn't going to do it. She looked up at the sound of his car pulling up. She took her ear buds out of her ears as he approached. "You know what, if you're late one more time, I'm done. You need to take this seriously, or I'm just not going to help you. We're not working today, now," she got up and went to her car.

Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to a stop. She pushed him off, but he dodged, and she hit his stomach, and she noticed that he winced, even though she barely touched him. She froze for a moment, and she met his gaze. She slowly moved, without removing her gaze from his, and lifted up his shirt, finally breaking the eye contact to look down at the enormous welt that was forming. She gasped in horror as she looked closer, realizing his stomach was covered in marks, some really old, but it was clear that the newest ones were from this morning. He finally pulled his shirt down, out of her grip, and tried to walk away from her.

Not letting his get very far, Chilarie grabbed his hand, unsure of where else she could grab him, and she pulled him into a gentle hug. She didn't know what else to do. She was in shock. "Oh, God, Riley, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said after a long moment of silence. She didn't mean to say it, and she knew it wasn't her fault, but she found herself really meaning the words, and she wished there was something more she could do for him.

That was obviously the wrong sentiment, though, because he stiffened, and pulled back at her words. "There's nothing you can do, Hope. Nothing. Don't tell anyone. You can't tell anyone," his gaze was frantic as he repeated those last words and she could see the actual fear in his eyes, and she knew that he was really scared of what would happen if he tried to get help. She wanted to help him, but she knew that telling anyone, in this case, would only make things worse.

Of course, she wasn't just going to let this go. She would try to find some way to help him out of this situation. She wouldn't just sit idly by. It might take her time to figure out what she could do. She could see him put up his mental barriers, though. In just moments his gaze was protected and she could feel him withdrawing. "Hey. Just wait. I won't tell anyone. I promise. Just, let me look at your wounds," she said imploringly, holding her hands out, but staying where she was.

After a few tense moments, he stepped forward, allowing her to pull his shirt up and over his head. She examined the fresh wounds, very tenderly tracing her fingers over them, being extra careful when she noticed his labored breathing. She glanced up at him, then looked back down at the scars. She knew that he didn't let anyone else see this. She wasn't sure how he managed, during basketball season, but she was sure she was one of the only ones he'd let in this far.

For a strange reason, she was kind of glad that he had opened up to her, but at the same time, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to help him in the way he needed. She put his shirt down when she was done looking, and she looked up, meeting his gaze. They both stayed frozen for a moment, and then she found herself stepping forward, wrapping her arms around his waist tenderly. He stayed frozen for a minute, and she thought he was going to push her away, but in the end he didn't. His arms eventually wrapped around her as well. It seemed forced, but she knew it was the best she was going to get, and she could accept that.

Taking a deep breath, Riley finally pushed her away, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He looked at it, and then took another few steps back. "I should get to class so I'm not late," he was getting more closed off by the minute, and she didn't know what she could do to stop it. She wanted to reach out and stop him as he retreated to his car, not even looking at her, but she had no idea what to say. He was already opening the door by the time she thought of anything.

"Hey," she yelled to get his attention as she jogged over to close the door of his car before he could get in. "Will you come back tomorrow, and you know, maybe we can actually get to the tutoring part," she looked up into his eyes, trying to tell him silently that his secret was safe with her, that she wasn't going to tell anyone. She just wanted to help him. "Please, I want to help you. I mean, I know you have no hope without me," she offered a smile, trying to turn the mood away from all the seriousness.

For a long time, Riley just looked into her eyes, and she knew he was looking for something. She wasn't sure either of them knew what it was he was looking for, but she hoped he would find whatever it was. He seemed to decide after a moment that he had found it, though, because he nodded. "Yeah, tomorrow, maybe we'll actually get in a tutoring session," he hesitated, then offered a smirk as she moved away from the door of his car. "I'll see you at school," his cocky attitude was back in such full force that she almost didn't believe the earlier scene had happened. Almost.

After he was gone, she sat back on the bench for a little while, knowing that there really was no hurry to get to school. She didn't have to go to football practice like he did. She wondered who had actually done it. It was probably his dad. She couldn't imagine anyone else except someone he lived with beating him on a regular basis, and she couldn't imagine a woman doing that kind of damage. It also had to be someone he would want to protect, which meant he had to feel some kind of loyalty to the person. All the signs pointed to his father at this point, though she wouldn't make any accusations based on assumptions.

A little while later, she parked on the school campus, and Lily and Baley got out of the car. She followed them toward campus. She had picked them up before going to school, as had been the plan, and as usual, now that they were at school, the two went straight for the popular crowd, and Chilarie was left on her own, now that she had no best friend to hang out with. She spotted Nicci hanging out with James and Kate, and she tried to head in the other direction, but then she saw Riley, with a group of popular people in their own grade, and she didn't know which direction she would prefer to go.

Hesitating for a few minutes, she decided to head in Riley's direction, not necessarily to hang out with him, but because she knew some of the girls he was hanging out with from last year, because of Brett. She met his gaze briefly, but looked away. She wasn't ready to change things at school yet, and she knew he wasn't either. She knew they'd both prefer to act like this morning hadn't happened, even though they couldn't go back to make that the truth, they could pretend everything was the same at school, which meant she was ignoring him.

When she went to class, she focused solely on the material, trying not to think about what she had learned this morning. She really wanted to talk to her boyfriend, but she couldn't, not about this. She wished she could, but she knew Riley would hate her if she did, and she knew that he just needed someone to lean on. She was going to try to be that person. It would be hard for a while, but eventually they would get used to it, and she would figure out a way to really help him. She was certain she would be able to figure it out, and in a way that wouldn't cause him to hate her.

When the day was over, she waited until Brett was out of class, and then she called him. She just needed to hear his voice. She wished she could see him, but she knew that wasn't possible. She allowed herself to just be comforted by his voice, and she managed to restrain herself from telling him the truth. She wasn't used to keeping something from Brett, and she wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep it up, but she managed for at least that phone call.

After getting off the phone with Brett, she went to the Rivercourt, hoping she could play some ball and begin to feel better, but it really didn't help at all. She was used to being able to call someone up to play basketball with, but right now she had absolutely no one to call, and being at the Rivercourt only emphasized that fact in her mind. She laid down on the asphalt for a while, and she almost wanted to curl into a ball and give up. These past few days had taken a lot out of her, and she was beginning to wonder how much longer she'd be able to keep this up. She knew that she had Brett, at least, and her immediate family, and with that, at least, she'd be able to deal.

When she got tired of being at the Rivercourt alone, she went to her house. There wasn't a lot of people home. Baley was probably hanging out with her friends. The younger ones were at Karen's house. Her dad was probably at the school. She knew her mom was home, though, and for some reason that really comforted her. She located Peyton in her office and sat on her mom's couch with a sigh, saying nothing else.

A smile forming on her face, though Chilarie could tell she was trying to hide it, Peyton turned and looked at her eldest daughter, taking her attention from the demo she had been listening to. "What ever, my angst teenaged daughter, could the problem be?" she asked, then seemed to see that something was really bothering Chilarie, because the young blonde still didn't say anything. Peyton paused the demo, stood, and moved over to the couch to sit next to her daughter. "Seriously, Chilarie, what's up?" she asked, in all seriousness.

Trying to ignore the fact that the only one who ever called her that on any kind of regular basis was Brett, Chilarie sighed and leaned over, laying her head on her mother's lap. She smiled as her mom began stroking her hair, like she used to do when she was a little kid, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Peyton waited patiently for her daughter to let whatever it was she needed to say out. "I," she started, but paused, searching for words. She really didn't know what to say, where to begin. "Everything's falling apart," she finally said.

The tears slipped out of her closed eyes against her will, but she didn't wipe them away, or even open her eyes, actually. She felt her mom's other hand come up and wipe at them gently, but Peyton never stopped stroking her hair. "I mean, when I agreed to tutor Riley, I never thought I would lose everyone else I love too. I mean, Nicci's not talking to me, because she likes him, and Brett's upset because I'm tutoring him. James is taking Nicci's side, and now I can't stop tutoring Riley, because his dad be-" she cut herself off, opening her eyes immediately to gauge her mom's reaction.

Quirking an eyebrow, Peyton didn't say anything, but Chilarie knew her mom had noticed the slip. She probably could have played it off, if she hadn't reacted to her slip up the way she had. She wanted to tell her mom so bad, but she didn't know what Peyton could do about it. She wasn't sure what good telling would do right now, except it would make Riley hate her, and she knew he needed her right now, even if he'd never admit it. "I, um," she paused, trailing off. "I didn't mean that," she knew that wasn't going to work, but Peyton's hand, which had stilled when her eyes had popped open, finally continued moving again.

Knowing that Chilarie wanted her to ask so that she would be able to say no and not talk about the issue, Peyton pretended to ignore the slip up for now. "Did Nicci actually tell you she likes him?" she asked, and Chilarie nodded, so Peyton continued. "And you don't have any feelings like that for Riley, right? You really do love Brett, right?" she asked, and received another nod. She quickly went on before Chilarie could open her mouth to respond to that. "Then you just have to continue being Riley's friend, and they'll eventually see that you don't like him as more than that," she advised.

Trying not to play exactly into her mom's hand and tell the story, which was exactly what Peyton wanted, Chilarie opened her mouth, but in the end, she played right into Peyton's reverse psychology. She meant to continue the conversation Peyton had been following, but the words she didn't want to come out spilled right out of her mouth, almost as if she had no control whatsoever. "Mom, you can't tell anyone, please, swear you won't tell," she said, and Peyton just sent her a look that said she would do what she thought was best, while nodding her head slightly. "I think his dad beats him. I saw the marks this morning, when I was supposed to be tutoring him," she followed the explanation up with the proof she knew her mom would ask for.

Blowing out a sigh, Peyton tried to figure out what to say. She had honestly no idea what she should say, and that was a first in her parental career. She and Lucas had long ago come up with a plan or at least outline of every lecture or speech they would have to give to their kids. This wasn't one of them. Peyton had never really had to deal with anything like this before, and she knew that Chilarie was relying on her help right now. "Well, baby girl, I think you should just tell me what happened today, why you're so sure, and then we'll eventually come up with a plan to make things better for him, okay," she offered.

Sitting up, Chilarie nodded, preparing herself to tell the story to her mother. It was going to be hard to describe, since Riley had never really verbally confirmed anything, and a lot of it was just gut instinct, but she knew she had to try. She knew her mom would be able to help her out of this, because she had always gone to her mom for everything. She knew her mom wasn't a super hero or anything, but she knew Peyton wouldn't let this go, just like she wouldn't, and together they would find some way to help Riley, even if it took some time to figure out how. They both had the Sawyer gene, and that meant they were pretty stubborn.

Taking a deep breath, Chilarie began to explain the supposed-to-be tutoring session, and then how she had followed that train of thought until she had deduced what was going on. She could tell her mom had come to the same conclusion from the facts. She wasn't sure when, but she at some point she started crying, and when she was finished talking, she leaned into her mother, who held her, and began rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back. She was cried because even though Riley acted like he wasn't that great of a person, he had been through a hard life, if she was right, and no one deserved what he had been through.

It wasn't long after she started that Chilarie stopped crying, but she was glad that her mother was holding her and rocking her. She was glad to be having this mother/daughter moment, because it had been so long since they'd had one. She knew that lately she had been pulling away from her parents, trying to be more independent, but she did still need them, and she definitely needed her mom for this one. She wasn't sure she could handle something like this on her own. She was also taking advantage of the empty house, because it was so rarely this empty.

When people started arriving home, the two of them went down to the kitchen to start cooking dinner together. Both mother and daughter were enjoying the light banter as they cooked together, and it was nice to have a good moment to balance out the hard stuff they were going to have to get through. They were almost finished cooking when Lucas came home, heading for the kitchen first, to greet his wife. "Gross, guys, get a room," Chilarie teased. She was glad that her parents had such a great love, and she did want that one day, but still, they were her parents, and she was a teenager.

Removing his mouth from Peyton's, Lucas grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. Peyton giggled and braced her hands on his chest, biting her lip as she glanced over at her daughter. Lucas looked at Chilarie, too, while he continued to hold Peyton close. "Hope, I hate to tell you, but every room in this house is ours, and we can do whatever we want in any one of them," he teased right back, giving Peyton another kiss before she finally kicked him out of the kitchen.

As Lucas walked out of the room, Chilarie looked over at her mother, sending her a grateful look, and Peyton smiled back at her daughter. She knew that Chilarie was grateful that she didn't say anything, and for now, she wouldn't, because she would keep this just between the two of them as they tried to figure it out. She walked over and pressed a kiss to Chilarie's temple as they headed out to the dining room so they could eat dinner with their family.

**A/N: **_I am sorry it's been a while, but if you don't read my other fic(you definitely should, by the way) I'm in the process of moving and I moved out of my mom's house, and my computer crashed, so I don't really have access to a computer most of the time, so I'm hoping I'll be back to regular updates before the end of the summer, but I'm not making any promises. I hope my readers continue reading, though, despite the now random updates. I am sorry for that, again._

_With that being said, what do you think of this chapter? I know, the Riley storyline is a surprise and I really just came up with it out of nowhere. I'm not sure where it came from, except I had almost the whole rest of this fic written, until my computer crashed, so I had to go back and rewrite, and this is what I came up with the second time around. I honestly had not planned this at all, but I think I like where this is going. I hope y'all do too!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	19. Ch18: Decisions, Decisions

Unable to make up with Nicci, and really unable to stop tutoring Riley now that she knew what she did, things became even worse at school. She wouldn't be able to make up with her best friend, until Nicci finally decided that it wasn't so bad that she was tutoring Riley. She was sure that one day Nicci would get over this, but since she had apologized already, she had done all that she could. It was up to her once best friend now. She only hoped that Nicci wouldn't take that long to get over this.

It was hard for Chilarie, being unable to hang out with Nicci and, in effect, James since they were spending so much time together. She had to find different people to hang out with. She could have started hanging out with her little sister, and her cheerleading friends, but Chilarie really didn't want to do that. She loved her little sister, most of the time, but they were just too different to hang out on any regular basis. She instead started hanging out with the group of people Brett had introduced her to last year.

Being part of the popular crowd was something hard for her to get used to, but they surprised her by actually being good people. Some people at her school could be shallow or just plain bitchy, but for the most part, the girls she started hanging out with weren't. Riley also started hanging out with the group of juniors she hung out with. She was surprised how different he acted when they were at school, as opposed to when they were having their tutoring sessions, but she didn't bring it up, because she was pretty sure she knew why that was.

Without her friends to hang out with, she ended up having more time to practice basketball, for the upcoming season. She knew she didn't really need practice, but considering the other girls had been on an organized team before, any extra playing wouldn't hurt. She was surprised one day when Riley showed up at the Rivercourt while she was shooting hoops. "What are you doing here?" she asked curiously. She had yet to hang out with him outside of school and their morning tutoring sessions.

Walking up to her, he grabbed the basketball, which she had yet to retrieve after throwing it at the hoop. "I've never really understood why so many people like basketball," he said as he began dribbling the ball, looking at the orange orb the whole time he was talking. He looked up and shot it at the hoop, missing completely. "Maybe it's because I've never been good at it," he laughed, looking at her. "I was thinking, since you're tutoring me in school, maybe you can tutor me in basketball. If I'm keeping up my grades, I might as well do a sport next season, too, and with your best friend hating you, you have nothing to do after school," he propositioned.

Perhaps it was too much for him to bring up Nicci, but she had to admit he did have a point. She also knew that the more times she spent time with him, the less time he was spending getting beat. She figured she really had nothing to lose. He was right when he said she had nothing else to do, and he really was crappy at basketball. She was spending all that extra time practicing basketball anyway, might as well spend it in the company of someone else, teaching him the rules and basics of the game.

Nodding, she finally agreed. "I guess I could do that. You really do suck, and you are definitely going to need to learn a lot before the next season, if you want to play basketball, and spending the time teaching you the basics of the sport will help me make the girls team," she smirked. "I won't go easy on you though, so don't think that just because this isn't school work means I'll be easier on you than I am during our tutoring sessions. That just isn't going to happen," she finished.

That was the start of them spending even more time together. They grew to be really good friends, sharing things with each other. Over the next few weeks Chilarie only got to see Brett once, and every time he promised that he was going to come, and then didn't, Riley was there for her, and she appreciated that more than he knew. She hadn't gotten him to open up to her about the bruises and scars, but she knew that eventually he would. She could tell that he had opened up to her more than he had opened up to anyone else in a long time.

October was more than halfway through and Aiden's wedding was coming up, and she had been spending more time with her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law lately, because Nicci still hadn't forgiven her yet. She was almost beginning to wonder if her best friend would ever actually be her best friend again, but she tried not to dwell on that too much. She focused on Riley, and on helping Vanessa and her mom with the wedding, and, of course, basketball.

The weekend before the wedding, she was helping Aiden and Vanessa fix up the house they were going to move into together when they got back from their honeymoon. They had already signed the contracts and they were buying it, but it had some fixing up that they would need to do. Most of the stuff that had needed to be fixed has already been done, and now it was mostly decorating. Chilarie, Vanessa and Aiden were currently repainting one of the bedrooms. "Hey, my darling soon-to-be husband, how do you feel about going into the kitchen and making us some sandwiches?" Vanessa asked as she heard Chilarie's stomach growl yet again.

Aiden opened his mouth like he was going to protest, but she sent him a look and he closed his mouth, sending her one back before agreeing, and leaving the room. Chilarie, who had her back to the couple, didn't see the exchange. "I swear, one of these days I am just going to get rid of that shirt. I would have a long time ago, if he didn't love it so much, and wash it himself," Vanessa laughed when he was gone. She was talking about the old shirt her beau was wearing, which he had had for as long as she had known him.

Laughing as well, Chilarie turned to the older woman. "Yeah, well, you know why he loves that shirt so much, right?" she asked, and Vanessa just shrugged, unsure of the answer. "It's the concert tee that he bought on his first date with you. Yes, he loves the band, and yeah, it's a nice shirt, but he wouldn't have kept it for nearly this long if it didn't hold that meaning for him, Nessa. I figured you would know that," she said, smirking knowingly, as she could tell that her comments had made Vanessa look at that shirt in a whole new light.

That hadn't been what Vanessa had wanted to talk about, of course, so she let the topic drop. She knew the blonde was going through a tough time right now, because Peyton had asked her to talk to Chilarie, since they had been spending so much time together lately. She would have anyway, though, because she was growing rather fond of the young girl, going so far as to make Chilarie her maid of honor. "How're things, between you and Brett? Wasn't he supposed to be coming to Tree Hill this weekend?" she could almost see Chilarie's walls go up, but she hoped the younger woman would talk to her anyway.

Swallowing loudly, Chilarie turned back to the wall to paint. She had not expected Vanessa to bring up her boyfriend. She knew she had been getting closer to the woman, but she hadn't expected this. She wondered if everyone could tell how hurt she was every time Brett didn't show up when he was supposed to. She cleared her throat before answering. "Well, um, actually he was too swamped with homework this weekend. He promised he'll be here next weekend, for the wedding, though," she answered with her back still to Vanessa. She wasn't sure if she was counting on that, though.

Stepping closer, Vanessa put down her brush and turned Chilarie around so she could look at the blonde. "I am sure he'll make it. I know he's in college now, and you're still here, but that boy loves you, Hope. I've always been able to tell that. If it's meant to be, it'll work out. That doesn't mean there won't be hard times, and you won't have to work hard to get there, but it does mean it will be worth it in the end. Every good couple will tell you that. There will be battles, but if you're meant to be, it'll work itself out in time. You just have to keep fighting for what you want," she reassured her.

Biting on her lip, Chilarie nodded, knowing that the woman was right, but lately she hadn't been feeling like his heart was in it, and if his wasn't, why should hers be? She wasn't going to fight for someone who wouldn't fight on her side. She had mentioned that to Riley, and he had agreed with her that she deserved better. "You do still love him, right? I mean, I know you've been spending a lot of time with that Riley guy. Are you sure you still want to be with Brett?" Vanessa asked, sensing Chilarie's hesitation and the reason behind it.

Running her hand through her curls, Chilarie then threw her hands up into the air. "I just don't know anymore, Nessa. My heart says I still love him, and I do still want to be with him," she trailed off, but Vanessa didn't say anything, because she could hear a but at the end of that statement. "It just seems so hard lately, and it doesn't feel like he's fighting on my side. He has to work at it too, you know," she said, and she knew what Vanessa was going to say next. "No, I don't want to be with Riley. I mean, he's a great friend now, but not the guy I want to be with," she said.

Luckily for Chilarie, Aiden came back with the sandwiches, successfully ending the conversation, because she hadn't known what else to say. She wasn't even sure what she was saying was true anymore. She was going to have to have a serious talk with Brett when-well, if-he showed up next weekend. It wasn't something she wanted to do over the phone, and besides, they hadn't been talking as much as they used to. She was lucky if she got to talk to him every other day, and she only rarely got a text from him first thing in the morning anymore. She had to text him if she wanted a text back. He was changing again, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Later that day she was at the Rivercourt. She had said she needed to get some practicing in, because she had made the girls team, but really, she just wanted time to think. She had said she didn't want to be with Riley, but she wasn't entirely sure that was true. She knew that Nicci still liked him, but Nicci only liked him for shallow reasons, considering Nicci didn't know him. Chilarie did know him, and while he was a jackass most of the time at school, she knew that was just because he had been trained that way, by whoever beat him. He kept up his façade to make people think he was confident, so no one would get close enough to question him.

Except Chilarie had gotten close enough. She hadn't questioned him yet, but she wanted to make things better for him, and while she hadn't talked to her mom about him again, she knew that Peyton would want to find a way to help him too. She really needed to figure out how she was going to do that, because she every time she accidentally hit him when they were playing basketball, and he winced, she knew why, but she also knew he wouldn't talk about it, so she could never bring it up. She hated that someone was still causing him pain, and she couldn't stop it.

For a while she was just shooting hoops, but then Riley showed up, and they started a one-on-one game, just for the fun of it. He had gotten a lot better at playing than he used to be, but he hadn't made the team. He had just shrugged that off though, saying he hadn't actually wanted to play basketball anyway. He had just been looking for another reason to spend time with her. Chilarie wasn't sure if that was his cocky side talking, or his honest side, but she had said nothing, to save herself from embarrassment either way. 

The two of them just played around for a while. It wasn't really a serious game, to see who was better than the other, but they did keep score anyway. Chilarie was way ahead of him, of course, but he didn't really care. They were having fun. She was trying to forget about all her troubles with her boyfriend and her confusion regarding the guy she was hanging out with right now. She just wanted a sure sign, something to tell her what she should do. Should she give up on Brett, or not?

Neither of them heard the car pull up, because Riley was fouling, trying to steal the ball from her, using his size to try to even up the score. She didn't hear the car door open, either, but she did hear her boyfriend's voice calling her name, and she peered around Riley's arm, ducking around him as soon as she saw Brett, and running towards him, jumping into his arms. "I thought you weren't gonna make it this weekend, and I wouldn't be able to see you until next weekend," she placed a kiss on his lips, and then, once he set her down, led her over to Riley.

Despite the fact that she and Riley had been hanging out for weeks, and Brett had been down a few times during those weeks, the two guys had yet to meet. She introduced them, and they stood around, making conversations for a little while, but it was clear that they didn't get along, so when Riley made some excuse about having to leave, she just let him, and turned to her boyfriend, ready to forget about Riley altogether and focus on them. "Well, what time do you have to get back?" she asked.

Not answering, Brett stared after Riley's car as it got further away. He then turned his gaze on the petite blonde, and she knew that he wasn't going to focus on the two of them, and she also knew that the weekend was definitely going to be ruined. "What was that? I mean, you were hanging all over each other, Hope. If I hadn't known any better I would have thought the two of you were a couple. Are you sure you aren't?" his voice was colored with jealousy, and she didn't like that one bit, nor did she like the accusation that was in his voice.

Not really wanting to start a fight, when he was here in front of her, and she only rarely was graced with his presence, the Sawyer temper in Chilarie just wouldn't let that go. "I am positive. I was upset about not getting to see my boyfriend this weekend, despite the promises he made, and he was hanging out with me, since I had nothing else to do. Actually he's done that quite a lot, so I guess the question is not whether he is my boyfriend, it's whether I actually have a boyfriend at all, given it's been so long since I've seen him," she shot back, taking a step away from him and folding her arms across her chest.

Narrowing his eyes, he paused for a moment, knowing that she was at least partly right. He wasn't ready to admit that, though. "Well, I guess since you're so unsure, I'll leave you be to think it over. I thought I'd come down and surprise my girlfriend, but if she'd rather be hanging out with another guy, I guess I'll leave her to it," he turned and headed for his car, getting in and driving off before she could wrap her mind around what had happened.

Just as she was about to go get in her car and follow him, she got a phone call, and she kept walking towards her car as she pulled her phone out and flipped it open. It was her mom, and she said she had an idea of how to help Riley. Chilarie stopped in her tracks upon hearing that, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. "You're at home?" she asked, and Peyton answered in the affirmative. "Okay, then I'll be home soon, and we can talk about it," she hung up and ran for her Comet, forgetting all about her boyfriend and focusing on Riley, hoping that her mom's plan would actually work.

When she was halfway there she remembered the fight she had just had with her boyfriend, and she knew that she could still go find him, or at least call him, but she wouldn't be able to talk to him right now without thinking about what her mom could be cooking up, and she knew that Riley's safety was more important than some stupid fight. If it was meant to be, it would still be able to be fixed if she waited some time before calling him. She was sure that she would call him sometime this week, and they would fix it, and everything would end up turning out okay.

**A/N: **_It's been a while, I know, and I'm sorry for that, but I hope this chapter will begin to make up for things. Tell me what you guys want to happen, if there is anyone still reading this, anyway. Should she end up with Riley or Brett. I kind of have a plan, but I do get swayed by ideas from my readers, if they are intriguing enough. So let me know if you're still reading this, and let me know what you want to happen, and I can't make any promises, but I'll try to start updating on a regular basis again. Thanks for all the reviews I have received. I appreciate every one._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	20. Ch19: Kidnapping and Disclosure

Running her hand through her hair, Chilarie just didn't know what to think. She wanted to say this was a good idea, and Riley would agree to it, but she knew that although it was a very well thought out plan, Riley would never agree to it. It would ruin his whole image, not to mention whoever it was he was protecting by keeping this silent. She would love to help him, but she just didn't think he would go for it. Not to mention Brett would hate the idea. She would do whatever she had to do to help him though. Riley needed her, and she was going to try her hardest to help him.

Everyone would come to the wrong conclusion, she knew, but she would talk to Riley when they had to meet in the morning for tutoring, and she would talk him into this. She would take any amount of rumors or gossip that anyone could throw at her, if it meant that Riley wouldn't be beat anymore. She knew that the one thing she wouldn't be able to handle would be Brett breaking up with her over this, but if he really had that little trust in her, if he didn't believe in them enough, then maybe they weren't as meant to be as she thought, as much as it killed her to think that.

Staring at her daughter, she couldn't almost see the train of thought speeding down the track in her mind. Peyton knew this would be rough on her daughter's relationship with Brett, but she also knew that Chilarie was a fighter, and she knew Riley was worth fighting for, so she would do anything to help him. Peyton knew that she couldn't stand idly by while she knew this was happening either, so she had talked to a lawyer, and a judge, and she had found a solution. "Well, what do you think, honey? I mean, I'm taking a risk here too, but I'm sure your father would agree, and I really think this will work out," she said.

Sighing, Chilarie stopped chewing on her lip and nodded. "Yeah, Mom, I think this could work, if I can talk to Riley and make him see that this can work. It'll be hard, and a lot of people will think Riley and I are together, but we can't change what people will think. He has a strong case, and I'm sure a judge will agree to emancipate him, especially if you tell the judge you'll take custody of him until he gets a job and on his own feet, but I just think he'll take a lot of coercing to agree to testify against his dad. I'll do it though," she put more conviction than she actually had into her voice.

The next morning, Chilarie waited for Riley to show up for their tutoring session, and she looked down at her hands, which were actually shaking, because she was so nervous. She tried to drink her morning coffee, but that wasn't helping the shaking, she knew, so she just propped a book open and tried to study until he got there. He arrived shortly after, and she was biting her lip as he walked up to the table. "What's up, Hope? Did you and your boy toy break up? You look kind of stressed out," he said casually, assuming that it did have something to do with Brett.

Reaching out, she touched his chest, feeling around until she saw his wince, reinforcing her reasons for doing this as she thought of the pain he went through daily. "Listen, Riley, you know you get beat, and I know you get beat. I also know it's most likely your father, so don't try to deny it. You don't deserve anyone beating you, and I talked to my mom, and she and I have found a solution. You have a way out, Riley. No one has to hurt you anymore," she bit harder on her lip as she reacted the way she thought he would.

Getting back up almost immediately after sitting down, he grabbed the stuff he had set on the table. "I told you not to get into this, Hope. I begged you. I thought we had put this behind us. My father is a powerful man. He'll never let me get away. I've accepted that and so should you. This has nothing to do with you, and there's nothing you can do, so butt out, before something bad happens to you," he said, his words threatening, but the look on his face mixed of hope and despair.

Before she could say anything else, he turned and walked away. She got up and tried to follow, but he turned back, holding his hands up so she wouldn't come any closer. "No, Hope, don't. You can't fix me, or my situation, and since you can't seem to stay out of it, because you consider us friends, it's better if we just don't talk anymore. Just stay away from me, and get out of my life," he shouted, and then turned and stormed over to his car, getting in and gunning it to get out of there.

Blowing out a sigh, Chilarie wanted to follow him, but knew that he would need time to think about this, realize that this was the best thing for him and it would work out. She'd let the idea that there could be a way out bounce around in his head for a while, and then she would talk to him, and he would be intrigued enough to listen, and she would convince him that this would work out. She had probably come on too strong today, but that had been because she was nervous. She would do better next time, and they would get him out of this.

At school, Chilarie spent the whole time watching Riley, but he avoided her. She knew that he would need time, but she was having a hard time giving it to him. She had someone else to tutor after school, and when she was done, she realized her sister and Lily had already gotten a ride home from someone else, so she couldn't even have that distraction. She decided to go to his house and make him listen, but as she was walking to her car there was a van that pulled into the lot. She looked around, but could see no one else. She was curious, but not worried as she continued walking to her car.

The van pulled up next to her Comet, and that did give her cause to pause, as it was parked right beside the drivers side. She reached in her pocket, to pull out her phone and her keys, which had a key chain can of pepper spray on it, just in case, but as she rounded her car, the back door to the van slid open, and someone wearing a mask jumped out. She tried to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth, and the person tried to drag her into the van. She blindly shot the pepper spray over her shoulder, and managed to cause the hands holding her to let go.

Not wasting any time, she rushed to her car, flipping open her phone as she got in the car, but just as she hit the speed dial, the guy appeared at her side again, this time punching her to daze her. She dropped her phone and the keys were still in the ignition. The guy dragged her out of the car, but she was still conscious, and she began fighting again, this time managing to knee him in the groin. She tried to get back to her car while he was on the ground, but the passenger door opened to the van and the passenger, also wearing a black mask, got out of the car.

Holding a crowbar, he smacked her in the head with it, and this time her world faded to blackness. "Goddamnit, do I have to do everything myself," he shouted at the man who was lying on the ground. He nudged him with his foot. "Get your ass up, and get in the damn van," he shouted again, and he picked up the petite blonde, threw her over her shoulder before tossing her into the back of the van. He rolled his eyes as the other man groaned as he got up and followed her into the back and then got in the passenger seat. Both doors to the van closed and the driver pealed out of the parking lot.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

Peyton was just finishing up at the label and going out to her car when her phone started ringing. She saw that it was her husband and she flipped the phone open. "Sorry, things ran late today. I'm on my way home right now, and I'll bring dinner," she said as she got into her car. He asked her if she knew where Chilarie was, and she could tell there was something he wasn't telling her, but decided to follow his lead in the conversation. "I know she had tutoring after school, and then she probably went to the Rivercourt, or something, why?" she asked, assuming her daughter was at one of those places.

Something was telling her it wasn't that simple, though, and Lucas's next words did nothing to ease that fear. "Well, Brett got a phone call from her a couple of hours ago, but he couldn't answer, because he was in class. He just checked his voicemail, and he couldn't hear her, but he did hear a mans voice. He could barely make out the words, but he says it sounded something about a van. He tried calling her phone, but didn't get through, and so he called the house, to tell me what he knew," he said.

Running a hand through her hair, Peyton had a feeling that she knew exactly what this was about. She knew that Lucas was going to be very upset when he found out what she knew, and she felt like this was her fault, in a way. "Lucas, I have to tell you something. I'll explain when I get home, but I think I know what this is about, and I'll be going for blood if I'm right. Stay with our other kids, I'm going to drive around and see if I can find her first," she said before getting off the phone.

The Rivercourt was empty, and so were the docks, but when Peyton drove by the school, she saw her daughters car parked there, with the drivers side door opened. She pulled into the lot and parked next to it, noticing that the keys were inside, and so was her daughters cell phone. She grabbed the phone, and the keys, and closed the door to the car before she got back into her own car, and she was getting angrier by the minute. She had one more stop to make before she was going to go home.

Parking her car, she got out and went to the front door. She had found out the address a while back, when she had started trying to figure out a way to help Riley. She saw only his car parked in front of the house, although that only meant that his father could be parked in the garage, but she didn't care. She knocked on the front door, waiting until the maid opened it, and she asked for the younger Williams man. He appeared a few moments later, shocked to see her. "What do you want? I already told Hope, there's nothing going on. I don't need her help, and I don't need yours either," he said snidely.

Waving that off, she had to resist the urge to smack some sense into him, but she didn't want to be his father, and she would never hit a teenager anyway, that just wasn't her. "So what did you do, Riley? Did you run right home and tell your daddy what my daughter said, that she had figured you out? Does he really have you that deep in his pocket that even when someone tries to help you, you have to keep them from helping you? We wanted to make things better for you, but now you've gone and gotten her kidnapped. Tell that father of yours that I will not bow down to him like you do. I will get my daughter back, and if you don't want out of here, fine, we'll leave you be, but he will go down for the kidnapping of my daughter," she threatened, her Sawyer temper flaring.

Looking shocked, Riley immediately filled in the blanks where she couldn't, but he didn't let her see that he knew anything. A part of him really was shocked, though, because he did have no idea how his dad had found out that she knew the truth. "Really, Mrs. Scott, I don't know what your talking about. I had nothing to do with this, and I'm sure my dad had nothing to do with this either," he lied automatically, because his dad had instilled in him from the beginning to do anything to protect your family.

Shaking her head, she knew that at least part of what he said was the truth. She also knew that if he did no anything, he wouldn't tell her, because his father had him brainwashed. "Think about this, Riley, my daughter is the only one who cared about you enough to try to get you to safety. Your dad doesn't care about you, no matter what he says, because a parent who cares does not hit there children. I would do anything for my children, as your father will find out if he does have my daughter, but can he say the same for you?" she asked, turning away.

Before he could close the door, she turned back to look at him, and she could tell he was already thinking about her words. "Also, remember this, if you do anything to keep me from finding her, and that includes not telling me everything you know, and she gets hurt, that will be on you. She was trying to help her, and if you do nothing to help her, well, I hope you can live with that on your conscience," she shrugged and then turned away again, walking to her car and driving away.

When Peyton arrived at home, she knew it was time to talk to her husband. She had to tell him what was going on with their daughter, what she had been working on for days. She knew that he wouldn't like what she had gotten into, especially since it had caused their daughter to get kidnapped. She entered the house, carrying a couple of pizzas, and dropped them off in the kitchen before locating Lucas in his study. She closed the door behind herself and settled onto the couch.

Standing from his chair, Lucas made his way around his desk and sat on the couch with her, rubbing her back, and silently asking her to tell him what was going on. She started crying and buried her face in his chest. "She's been kidnapped, Lucas. I found her car at the school, the keys were in the ignition, her phone was laying open on the floor and the car door was opened," she paused before she added the next part. "It's all my fault," she sobbed even harder.

Rubbing her back, he said soothing things to her, even as he wanted to go out and find whoever had done this and get his daughter back. He knew there was more to this story, and he knew he wouldn't understand unless she finished explaining. "A few weeks ago, Chilarie came to me, and told me that she thought Riley's father was beating him. She had found bruises on him, but he had denied anything was going on. She was so worried for him, Lucas, and I knew she would want to help him, so I started looking for ways to help him. I've been talking to judges and lawyers, and I guess his father found out, because now our daughter is gone and we've got to do something to get her back," she explained.

Taking all of this in, Lucas knew his wife well enough to fill in the blanks she left out, like how she was planning on getting Riley out of his home. He knew what she was planning on doing, but he knew it would ruin Riley's father. He knew what she didn't, though. He knew the power Riley's father held. He knew that Riley's father had been the leader of an underground drug ring in Raleigh, and he had dealt with many things. He was powerful, and he knew people who could pull things like this off. He also had no intention of going to jail, Lucas was sure.

When he told Peyton the type of man Riley's father was, she started crying harder. "He could kill her, Lucas, what are we going to do? The only one who could possibly help us now would be Riley, and I've already went to talk to him. He's claiming ignorance and he doesn't want anything to do with us bringing down his father. He's been brainwashed, nothing we can say will make him help us," she looked up with tear-filled eyes at her husband.

Knowing that he wanted her to tell her he could fix this, that she wanted him to say some sort of magic words that would make everything better, Lucas just pulled her into a hug again. He didn't know what he was going to do, or how they were going to do it, but he did know this, he wasn't going to rest until he had his daughter safe in his arms, and Riley's father safe behind bars. "We'll figure it out, Peyton. I promise, everything will be alright," he tried to soothe her, but he knew she wouldn't be soothed until their daughter was home.

**A/N: **_Well, who expected that. I've been trying to think of someway to shake things up, make it different. I thought this would be something new. Tell me what you guys think, and let me know what you think should happen. I never really planned this whole Riley storyline. Originally he was just going to be a minor character, in and out in just a few chapters, but now I guess he'll be around for a while. Let me know if anyone is reading this, or if anyone cares whether or not I continue._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	21. Ch20: Getting Hope Back

A few hours later, they had called Jason and Aiden and they had come over, trying to figure out what they were going to do. Brooke had also come over, and so had Nathan and Haley, as they were all trying to figure out what they were going to do to get the petite blonde back, while trying not to alert the kids. Keirah and Jake had offered to watch some of the little kids, and Chase was at Brooke's house, watching her little ones, because he had already been there when Peyton had called Brooke.

None of them knew what they were going to do. A few of the guys wanted to just go over to Riley's house and beat the answers out of him, but Peyton-as well as Haley, Brooke and Vanessa-had immediately shut down that idea, because they didn't want their men to get taken to jail for assault, and also because they knew it would probably only make things worse for Chilarie. Peyton also knew that Riley was used to beatings, and he probably knew how to keep his mouth shut when getting them.

That left them with pretty much no options, seeing as they had no idea where Chilarie was being held, and they had called the cops, but they had no concrete proof that it was Riley's father that did it, so there was really nothing the cops could do. Riley's father had already made a name for himself in this town. He had connections, and they had probably done his dirty work for him, leaving them with no proof, except Riley's word, which Riley wouldn't even give.

Riley was currently at the Rivercourt, shooting hoops, and trying to get rid of the guilt he felt because his father had taken Hope. He knew it was his father, and he knew where he-well, the men he'd hired-had taken her. He had tried to get her to back off, though. He warned her that someone would get hurt. He had told her ages ago to back off, and she hadn't. There was no hope for him. He was never going to get out, at least not until he turned 18, and he wasn't even sure his father would let him go then. He was stuck, and there was nothing anyone could do to help him.

Just mentioning an idea she had, had got Hope taken, and God knows what they were doing to her. He wished he could have listened, wished that there was even the slightest possibility that things could have worked out, but his dad was too powerful. There was too much at stake to even try getting out. He had nowhere to go. His mom had lost her life, because she had tried to take him away from his father. He couldn't save her, and he had no right to get away from his dad, when his mom hadn't been able to.

Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the approach of the girl that had once been friends with Hope. He was pretty sure her name was Nicci, but he couldn't be sure. He turned and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you here to yell at me for something that's not my fault, too?" he asked, but he knew that was a lie. He may not have been the one to take Hope, but he was to blame for her disappearance, that was for sure, and he was to blame for anything that happened to her, because he couldn't open his mouth.

There were tears in Nicci's eyes as she approached the guy she had once thought was such a great guy. She had heard the whole story from here parents, who had been told by Peyton, and she had known he wasn't perfect, but she couldn't understand how he could keep his mouth shut, when someone's life could be hanging in the balance, her best friend's life. "How? That's all I want to know. How could you stay silent, when your fathers men could kill her? I thought you were her friend. How could you do this?" she demanded.

Tucking the ball under his arm, he kept up his façade up. "Who said it was my father's men? You have no proof. Even if it was, I don't know anything. I don't even know she's missing. I mean, I saw her just a couple hours ago, at school. This has nothing to do with me," he studied her, and could tell she was really worried. "Why do you care, anyway? I mean, you guys have been fighting for ages. You never talk to her anymore. You stopped being her friend because she was friends with me. Why do you care what happens to her?" in his life, even if you were family, people didn't care about you like this.

Appalled at his callous attitude, she truly didn't understand how he could even ask that. She suddenly felt sorry for him, because he didn't know the kind of love that every person deserves to get. "We may have stopped talking for a while, but she's been my best friend, for my whole life. We've always been together. I love her like a sister, like more than a sister, and even though we're having some stupid fight, I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to her, and we hadn't made up. I need her," she swallowed back tears, because he didn't deserve to see her cry.

The emotion in her eyes was what broke him. He knew that they had been fighting for months, but she still cared about Hope like they had never been closer. He wanted someone to feel that way about him. He wanted someone to care about him enough that they would care if something happened to him. He realized then, that he did have someone who cared. Hope had cared enough to want to get him out of the situation, and her mom had cared enough to find a way. How could he just let her take the fall for him, when she had cared about him more than anyone else had.

In that moment he realized that he had to help her. He would take anything that his father could give him, any beating, anything, so long as he got Hope to safety. He didn't know where she lived though, and he knew that if he just went in there on his own, his father's goons would never let him have her. He looked at Nicci. "Can you show me where her house is?" he asked, instead of answering her question, and she was mildly surprised, but she nodded and they got in his car and she gave him directions.

While they were in the car, he stayed silent for a moment. "She's the only one who's ever cared about me. I tried to tell her not to get involved. She can't save me. When I was little, my mom tried to get me away from my father. She disappeared, and I have a feeling he had her killed. I don't want that to be Hope next. I warned her to stay away, not because I don't want to find a way out, but because I was trying to protect her," he broke the silence.

Shaking her head, Nicci knew that wasn't the way to go. He had rejected help, because he was scared of his father. She couldn't imagine what that must be like. She loved her father, and she knew Jake loved her. She didn't understand how any father could hurt their child like that. She reached out and touched his arm. "It's not right, living in fear of the one man who you're supposed to idolize, and love, no matter what. I'm sure if you show Peyton and Lucas that you are the guy that Hope saw in you, then they'll probably still help you out of this," she said.

Wanting to hold onto that hope, but unable to really believe in it, Riley didn't say anything for the rest of the drive. She wanted to reach out and help him, like Chilarie had been trying to, but she didn't know how. She just sat next to him in the car, rubbing his arm, trying to let him know that she wanted to be there for him. She didn't know if she got through to him or not though. She only hoped that her words didn't prove to be false, for his sake.

They all heard the front door open, and a set of footsteps, followed by a second, more hesitant set of footsteps, causing everyone to freeze and look at the entry way to the living room. Nicci walked into the room, looking behind her, just as Riley stepped into the doorway. Aiden was the first one to jump into motion, and he crossed the room, stopping just in front of Riley. "Where is my sister?" he asked, and Riley froze, staying silent. Aiden pulled back his fist, as if he was going to hit Riley, and both Peyton and Vanessa called his name, as Jason and Lucas both started crossing the room to pull Aiden away.

No one needed to pull Aiden off, though, because he dropped his fist, and he held up his hands. He stopped not because Riley showed no reaction-which he really didn't show any outward reaction-but because he had seen the flash of fear in the young man's eyes before he had hidden it away behind his walls. He tried to pretend he was immune to pain, but he still wasn't, and Aiden knew he shouldn't have to be. "I can take you to her," Riley spoke when he was sure he wasn't going to be hit.

Murmurs broke out in the room, but Peyton stepped forward, focused on Riley as she walked over to him. "So, you're admitting that your father, or some guys he paid off, took my daughter, and you're going to help us find her?" she asked, and, after a moment of hesitation, in which Peyton saw another flash of fear in his eyes, he nodded. She smiled, and did something that shocked everyone. She pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Riley. It takes a lot to overcome your fears, and when you're scared of something you love, it's even harder. Thank you for doing this for her, and I promise, once we get her back, we'll get you away from your dad," she said.

When Peyton turned around again, she could see the guys were getting ready to leave right now. "No, we have to call the cops first. You guys can't just go barging in there, Lucas, Jason, Aiden. If you just barge in there any number of things could go wrong. It could ruin our case against them. You have to wait until you have the police to lead you in," she said, but none of them were listening to her, and she gave up on trying to change their minds. "Well, where is it we're going?" she looked at Riley.

Immediately, she heard the protests, but she leveled Lucas with her stare. "She is my daughter, damnit. I'm am not going to sit here, wondering if one of you could get hurt, or she could get hurt, while I do nothing. That is not happening, so don't even think it. Riley, tell Brooke the address so she can call the cops, and lets get going," she crossed her arms, and looked at everyone else, who hadn't moved. She had a defiant look on her face and everyone knew she was not to be messed with when she was in this mood. They also knew not to disagree with her, so they all followed her instructions.

When they parked the car in front of the house past the outskirts of town, in the middle of nowhere, Peyton started to get out, and Lucas put a hand on her arm, making one last attempt to get her to stay in the car, but she adamantly shook her head, and he knew it would only waste time trying to convince her to stay out of trouble. She got out of the car, and so did Lucas, Aiden and Jason. Riley hesitated again, but he got out too, because he wanted to make sure that Hope was safe. He followed the rest of them in there.

With a gag in her mouth, Chilarie couldn't do much more than sob and scream, but her screams were muffled, and she knew they wouldn't be heard at the front door. She wished she could stop her parents and her brothers from coming into the house, warn them that they were walking right into a trap, but she couldn't manage to scream loud enough. She heard them, though, as the front door opened, and there was movement. She felt proud, because she could tell they were putting up quite a good fight, but she knew there were about 10 men out there, and they wouldn't last long.

A few minutes later she heard the last of the scuffling die down, and she felt disappointed because she knew that they were going to get dragged in here soon, bound and gagged, and she would be able to do nothing but watch as Riley's father had his men do whatever he wanted with them. Her mom was brought in first and she wished her dad had been able to convince her to stay at home. Peyton had been tough to take down, apparently, and she had taken a lot of blows. Her father and brothers were no better, but somehow it wasn't as bad on them, because they were guys. Her mom was never supposed to get hurt like that.

When they finally brought Riley in, she was shocked, because he wasn't beaten like her family had been, but he did appear to be unconscious. Riley's father was instantly outraged, and he stood up, walking over to the goons holding his son, and pulling out his gun. He waited for an explanation and they began talking over each other. He shot the gun at the ceiling, and then looked to one of them for the story. "It wasn't me, sir, I swear, Mr. Williams, sir, but he wouldn't cooperate, and he started fighting. You didn't want us to beat him, so the only option was to knock him out, sir, at least until we can tie him up. He won't be out long, I swear, sir," he pleaded.

Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, he gestured for his men to start tying up his new prisoners. He looked at the men who were handling his son. "Don't tie him up. I will deal with him when he wakes up. He'll give us no more trouble," he said, and they immediately dropped the rope and went to stand by the wall. Riley's father watched with a smile as the rest of them were tied and gagged. "Nice of you to join us. I was just educating your daughter here about what happens when you try to mess with my family," he smiled evilly.

Walking over to stand behind Chilarie, he gestured to her, and as their heads all turned toward her, he grabbed her by the hair and smacked her across the face. This caused all four of them to begin struggling against their bonds, and Aiden, who hadn't been completely tied yet, brought down one guy by kicking him in the balls before they regained control of him. "Ah, ah, ah, I don't think so, Mr. Scott. That is not how this will work. Now, I will hand over this young lady here, if I get your promise that you will stay away from my son," he offered, moving to his desk and perching on it.

Looking at the goons who were holding Peyton, he gestured for them to bring her forward. He waited until they had moved her right in front of him. "I'm so glad you joined us, Mrs. Scott, because I know you're the one who doesn't seem to want to understand that my son is perfectly happy where he is, and just wishes you would leave him alone. Trust me, it will be in the best interest of your family if you do. Now, what do you say? Will you leave my son alone?" he asked, reaching out to remove her gag.

Staring him straight in the eye, Peyton opened her mouth, and spit right in his face. The goons moved to hit her again, but Riley's father just chuckled and held up his hands before reaching to wipe the spit off of his face. "She's fiery, just like her daughter. Yes, the young blonde hasn't wanted to speak to me either. Just tell me that you'll leave my son alone, and I will let you and yours walk away, and you'll never hear from me again," he offered.

Shaking her head, Peyton glared at the man. "I don't think so. The police will be here soon. My daughter and my family will be safe, and you will be in jail, for kidnapping charges, and assault. Oh, and lets not forget the child abuse. You'll be put away for a long time, and Riley and my family will be safe. So, no, I don't think I will promise to stay away from your son. I made a promise to him that I would save him from you, and making a promise to you, that I will stay away from him, doesn't exactly coincide with the promise I made to him," she said.

After a moment of staring at her, he suddenly reached out and smacked her. Lucas began working against his ropes, trying to get free to get to his wife, but she quickly recovered, looking at him and shaking her head. She didn't want him to get hit for trying to get away. She looked back at the other man as he started talking. "Oh, the police won't be coming, and even if they do, we'll hear them with enough time to get out of here. Then it'll be my word against yours, and I'm sure we all know how that will turn out," he smirked.

In that moment, Chilarie saw where Riley got his cocky self-assuredness. He shared a lot of features with his father, and she could almost see an older version of him in his father's face. She also saw the one big difference. She could tell that when Riley smirked like that, he was covering up a less cocky version of himself. There was no covering anything up with his father. He was hiding nothing, and she wondered if he had started like Riley, with just a façade covering up something deeper, or if he had always been such an asshole. She wasn't sure, and she probably would never know.

Just then, Riley started waking up, and he looked around the room, his eyes immediately landing on Chilarie, and the markings on her face that showed how much she had been beaten. He continued looking around, noticing her family, and his father, and all the people who worked for his father. He got to his feet, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Oh, Riley, you're awake. Tell them that you don't want their help, and you want nothing more to do with them, so they can promise to leave you alone and we can wrap this up," Riley's father spoke.

Standing there, he didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell his dad where to shove it, but he knew that his dad wouldn't give up easily. He knew that Hope would be disappointed if he said what his dad wanted him to say, but he didn't want his father going after the Scott family. He knew his father wouldn't let this go, wouldn't let him go. He didn't want anyone to get any more hurt than they already were. He wanted to have hope, hope that he could get out of this situation, get away from his father, but he didn't know if he could.

There was something that he just couldn't figure out, though. He didn't know why his father had kidnapped Hope. He had barely mentioned her to him, and he knew they hadn't been being watched at the docks all those times. He couldn't figure it out, just like he couldn't figure out how his father had known that they were on their way. He reached up, twisting the watch that his mother had left him around his wrist, and it was then he realized.

Just when he had started wearing the watch all the time, his father had made him take it to the shop, so it would actually work, because although Riley didn't wear it so he could check the time, his father had said there was no point in wearing a watching that didn't work. Riley didn't want his dad to throw it away, like he had been threatening to do, so he had just complied, and he realized that his dad must have bugged the watch. "You bugged my watch. You've been spying on me for years. What the hell?" he looked straight at his father.

Looking not the least bit repentant, his father just shrugged. "You're my son. I have a right to know where you are and who you're with. I was right, wasn't I? I knew someone would try to interfere one day, and I knew I would have to step in. I won't lose you, Riley. You're my son, and I will not let anyone take my son away from me. I didn't let your mother, and I won't let these meddling bitches interfere either," he gestured to Chilarie and Peyton.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he realized that his father had practically confessed to having his mother killed off. "You didn't let mom?" he repeated his fathers words. "You killed her, didn't you? How could you do that? She was your wife. You were supposed to have loved her. I guess you were supposed to love me too, but you certainly have a funny way of showing it. I guess I am lucky in a way, if you loved me as much as you loved her, I'd probably be dead by now," he scoffed.

Surprised that his son had immediately jumped to that conclusion, he just started laughing. "You think I had your mother killed?" he continued laughing, but no one else found it funny. "No, Riley, I just paid her off. I told her to get out of my life, stay away from you, and I paid her a lot of money to get her out of there. She left you all on her own. Maybe she didn't love you as much as you thought she did," he suggested, and Riley was stunned. Riley's father seemed amused at how much he had stunned his son.

Before anyone could say anything else, though, the front door opened, and they heard footsteps through the house, just as they heard sirens getting ever closer. The goons immediately began to scatter, but Riley tripped a couple, as did the Scotts, who's legs hadn't been tied, and Brett appeared in the doorway, holding a gun. "I wouldn't go anywhere. The cops are going to be following me in here any second now," he said, just as his eyes found Chilarie. He wanted to immediately go to her side, but he knew that he had to hold the gun on these goons, or they would flee, so he would have to wait until the cops arrived.

For a moment, Riley's father was confused, but then he saw the way the guy looked at the young woman, and realized this must be her boyfriend. He almost started laughing. "Riley, let's get out of here," he started walking for the door, but Riley didn't move. He paused and looked back at his son. "Let's go, boy," he said, but Riley told him no for the first time in his life. He was so stunned, that the cops flooded into the room before he could get out.

**A/N: **_Surprised Brett showed up? I know, I am too, but I couldn't have Chilarie be in trouble and have him stay safely at school. He realized his girl was in trouble and he had to come save her. This is the longest chapter I've written in a while, possibly ever, and I just thought it would be best to get to this point before cutting it off. Let me know what you think. I thank all my readers, if I have any._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	22. Ch21: Happy Times

A few weeks later, and the whole Scott family was at Aiden and Vanessa's wedding. They had postponed it in light of everything that had been happening, but the events were behind them now, and everyone's bruises and scratches had healed. The wedding was going to be beautiful, and Chilarie had to admit, she was glad they could have this perfect day, after everything that had gone down, with Riley, and the kidnapping and then the hearing afterward. This was a day that they all needed.

In the bridal room, Vanessa was stressing out, trying to go over every detail in her mind to make sure everything was going to go alright. "Vanessa, chilax, there's nothing you can do at this point. It's either going to run smoothly or it won't, but you don't have to worry if it doesn't, because you love Aiden, and you know that he's the one for you. Don't worry so much or you're going to get stress wrinkles early," Chilarie joked with the bride, sending her a smile.

Managing a smile, Vanessa sighed, trying to relax. She knew that Chilarie was right. This was the start of the rest of her life, with Aiden, and she shouldn't be scared of that. She loved him, had loved him since she was a sophomore in high school. They had gone through some admittedly rough patches, but she knew that they had been meant to make it here, to this day, and she knew that they were going to make it the rest of their lives. "Thanks, Hope," she said, hugging the blonde that was going to be here sister-in-law in a matter of minutes.

As she pulled out of the hug, Chilarie gave a shrug, and the standard Scott smirk. "Of course. You know if it doesn't work out, I'll probably choose you over my brother anyway," she joked, but then grew serious as she remembered the way he had came to her rescue. She could tell Vanessa was remembering that too. "Well, maybe not. He's really good to me and he's a pretty great guy. I guess we'll just have to make sure you two work out, so we don't get put into that situation," she said, before they were interrupted by the other bridesmaids.

On the other side of the church, Aiden was freaking out too. He kept worrying that Vanessa would run away, or disappear, and all his dreams would disappear with her. He was ready to settle down into their forever, but he was scared she wasn't. "Bro, seriously, stop stressing, or people are going to think you're my older brother, and not my twin," Jason joked, playfully punching Aiden in the arm as he paced by for probably the twentieth time.

Stopping with his pacing, Aiden smiled as he looked over at his brother. He ran a hand through his hair, and straightened his tie again. "Yeah, I am you're older brother though," he joked back, then grew serious. "This is the biggest day of my life, so far. I know it should have been a couple weeks ago, but it's happening today, right now, and it's just kind of hard to believe it's actually here," he rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a sigh.

Laughing, Jason just shook his head. "For you, maybe, it's hard to believe. For the rest of us, not so much," he said, getting a sharp look from his brother. "Come on, bro, you have to admit, not one single person was shocked when you told us you had proposed. The rest of us have known this day was coming since we were sophomores. It's you and Vanessa who took some time to see what we've always known. You guys were meant to be," he said seriously.

Smiling, Aiden nodded, and he knew his brother was right. Jason didn't let the moment stay serious for long, though. "Now, stop making me waste a good part of my best man speech, and lets go get you married," he said, because it was time for Jason and his groomsmen to take their place at the front of the church. Aiden returned the punch that Jason had given him earlier, and then they both walked out of the room, Jason clapping his brother on the shoulder as he followed him out.

The music started once Aiden and the groomsmen took their place, and the bridesmaids began walking down the aisle, followed by Chilarie, and then Vanessa. Aiden met her gaze as she walked towards him, and both of their fears evaporated, as did the whole rest of the room. They focused on nothing but each other, at least until the preacher announced that it was time for the vows. They had prepared their own vows, and Aiden was the first to say his.

Taking a deep breath, he squeezed Vanessa's hand, and began to speak. "Vanessa Jane Adams, I've loved you since I was fifteen. We've been through a lot, and there have been times when I thought we wouldn't make it to this point, but here we are. I promise that I will spend the rest of my life loving you, and caring for you and taking care of you. You're the one I'm meant to be with, and I promise that every day for the rest of our lives, I will never let you forget that," he vowed.

There were tears in her eyes as the preacher told her that it was her turn to speak her vows. Vanessa had to clear her throat before she could speak. "Aiden Michael Scott, I've wanted for many years to finally become Vanessa Scott, and I'm so glad it's finally happening. It may have taken us a while to get to this point, but I wouldn't change any of it, because we still ended up here. There is no one else I will ever love more, and no one else who could ever love me more. I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you," she vowed, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

After that, the rings were exchanged, and then Aiden got to kiss his wife-to catcalls mostly from his twin- and they were presented to the church as Mr. and Mrs. Aiden Scott. There was a new member of their family, and none of them could be happier about it. She had been considered a part of the family for years, but now she finally had the last name to prove it. The newlyweds were walking back down the aisle out of the church when Peyton called that she was going to be expecting grandchildren soon.

At the reception, Chilarie kept looking around for Brett, but he wasn't there. He had said he would be there, and after he had shown up and saved her, she had thought everything was going to be alright again. She had seen him a couple of times, and she thought his had finally gotten over his jealousy of Riley. She still wasn't sure if he should be jealous or not, though. She knew she was glad that Riley was finally out of his dad's clutches, but she knew that Brett didn't like that Riley was living in her house.

That was the way that they had gotten him away from his dad. There had been a trial, against his father, and Riley had spoken against his father, telling the truth about his abusive childhood, and his father kidnapping Chilarie. She had been proud of him, for actually telling the truth, and they had spent time together without any books, or basketballs, and she was surprised at how much she liked hanging out with just him, when she wasn't practicing or trying to teach him something.

Now that he was free of his dad, though, he had to find a place to live. The courts had allowed him to stay at the Scott house, but he really wanted to find his mother, now that he knew she was still alive. They were searching for her, but since she had disappeared so long ago, and there was a good chance her name had changed since then, whether due to marriage, or if Riley's father had forced her to change it, it would probably take a long time to find her. There was also a chance that she wouldn't want anything to do with him, and Riley would have to prepare himself for that too.

With all that in mind, Chilarie knew that they might have a house guest until he turned 18, but she also knew that Riley would be crushed if his mom didn't want him. She didn't know if she wanted his mom to want him, which would probably result in him moving out of Tree Hill, or if she wanted his dreams to be crushed by his mom not wanting him, which would mean he would stick around. She knew that it was horribly selfish for her to want him to stay just because she didn't want to lose his friendship, but she almost didn't.

After Aiden and Vanessa's first dance as man and wife, the dance floor was opened up and Chilarie went out to the floor, leaving her heels with the rest of her stuff. She wanted to dance and just have some fun for a little bit. She was tired of worrying, as that had been all that she had done for the past few weeks. She knew the first game of the season was coming up soon, and she knew that she would have to worry about that soon enough, but right now there was a lull in the things to stress about, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

A little while later the music slowed down, and Chilarie was about to move off the floor, but Riley appeared in front of her, and he held out his hand, silently asking he to dance. She hesitated for a moment, but then took his hand, letting him put his other hand on her waist as she put her other hand on his shoulder. She followed his lead as they danced, but she didn't let the silence linger long. "So, how does it feel, knowing that you're free from your dad's clutches?" she smiled.

Unable to help it, he grinned back at her. "It's really great actually. I never imagined I could get away from him, and to think, I actually have, and my mom may still be alive somewhere and they could find her," he paused, and she was glad that he was so happy now, even if it could take him away from her. "I owe it all to you, Hope. I never would have been able to get away from him, if it hadn't been for you and your mom, and now your parents are letting me stay with you. I'd never have this chance to meet my mom again if it hadn't been for you. Thanks so much, Hope," he said.

Before she knew what was happening, Riley had leaned down, and kissed her. She froze for a moment, but then kissed him back, before she realized exactly what she was doing. She pulled away from him, just in time to see Brett leaving the building. She groaned, as she noticed that Nicci had witnessed the kiss too. She knew she would have to talk to her best friend, who she had made up with after the kidnapping, but she needed to talk to her boyfriend first. "I, I've got to go," she said to Riley, who was trying to figure out her reaction, before she pushed through the people on the dance floor, all the way out of the building.

When she made it to the parking lot, he was starting his Jeep, but she ran up and jumped into the passenger seat of the car. "Don't, don't leave without talking to me. Please, Brett," she pleaded, turning in the seat so her body was facing him and grabbing onto his arm. She was near tears, and she knew he had every right to be mad at her, and hate her, but she didn't want it to end this way. "I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't mean much to you now, but I really need you to know that I never thought this would happen. I didn't ask for this to happen," she tried to look into his eyes, but he wasn't looking at her.

Laughing bitterly, he took his hands off the wheel and turned to finally look at her. "What are you sorry for, Chilarie? Are you sorry because he kissed you, or sorry because I saw it? I just can't believe what you say anymore. You said you didn't like him that way. You said he didn't like you that way. You swore to me that nothing was going to happen. Now, I know he has to live with you because he has nowhere else to go, and I accepted that, but then I come to your brothers wedding, and I see this. What am I supposed to think now?" he threw his hands into the air with frustration.

Seeing her this close to tears made him want to comfort her, but he couldn't believe this had happened. He had been pushing away tons of women, because he didn't want any of them. The only one he wanted was the one sitting in his car now, close to tears, but she had just kissed another guy, a guy who was living with her, in the same town, who she had saved. He was willing to let the kiss go, but he wasn't sure if she could let it go as easily. "Do you like Riley?" he asked before she could say anything else.

Biting on her lip, she tried to figure out the right answer to that. She didn't know. She hadn't thought she did, but that kiss, it had incited feelings in her that she hadn't realized had been there. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. "I don't know, Brett. I could tell you no, right now and possibly risk further hurting the both of us, but I think it'd be better if I took some time to think about it. I need to figure out where my head is at," she looked over at him sadly.

Reaching out, Brett brushed aside the curl that had fallen in her face. "I love you, Little Scott. I'll give you your time. It's probably a good idea for me to focus on school and basketball anyway. Just let me know when you make your decision. I'll be waiting," he leaned closer and kissed her for a moment, leaning back to look in her eyes. He waited for her to get out of the car before he drove away, leaving her standing there, barefoot, watching his car drive away.

When she went back inside, she felt this emptiness in her chest, like she had lost something, but she wasn't sure what she had lost. Brett had said he would wait for her. She just didn't know if she wanted him to wait for her. She was so confused. She hadn't thought that she was falling for Riley, but what if she was. She had these two great guys that liked her, now, and she had no idea what she was going to do about it. She had never been in this situation before.

First, she had to talk to her best friend, though. She spotted Nicci sitting at a table, with James, who subtly stood up and walked away as she approached. "Can I sit down?" she asked, and Nicci looked up at her, but said nothing. Chilarie sat down anyway. "I'm sorry, Neese. I know you still like him. I can honestly say that I didn't expect that to happen though. I can't control how he feels, though, Nicci. Please don't be mad at me because I can't," she implored of her best friend.

Smiling, Nicci looked up at her best friend, and shook her head slightly. "I'm not mad at you, Hope," she said, but Chilarie could still see the sadness in her best friend's smile and waited for her to go on. "It's just, I really liked him. I thought maybe he could like me back, but I guess that was always just a pipe dream. You do what you need to do. Do you like him, too?" she asked, as she began playing with her hair, like she always did when she was nervous.

Sensing that Nicci wanted her to say no, Chilarie knew she could, just to make her best friend happy, but just like she hadn't been able to tell Brett she didn't like him, she couldn't tell Nicci she didn't like him either. "I just don't know, Nicci. I wish I could say I didn't, but I told Brett this too. I need time to get my emotions figured out. I need time away from both of them to just decide how I feel," she blew out a sigh, looking out across the room, and her gaze fell on Riley, who was making his way toward her.

Shaking her head, she got up, and leaned down to give Nicci a hug before she made her way over to Riley. She met him in the middle of the dance floor, but stopped far enough away that he couldn't reach out and touch her. "Listen, that kiss was nice, but it wasn't the right way to go about telling me how you feel. I'm confused now, and I need time away from both you and Brett, so I can decide how I feel. I like you Riley, but I don't know if I like you that way or not," she bit her lip as she waited for his reaction.

Looking as if he had expected that, he just nodded. He couldn't expect her to just fall into his arms because he had kissed her. He knew she was with Brett, and in love with him, and he would have to give her enough time to decide if she could love Riley that way. "That's alright, Hope. I can give you time. I don't know what I'm going to do for a tutor while you're thinking, but I'm sure I'll make it. You've helped me so much already. I should be able to do it on my own now," he stepped closer, and kissed her forehead.

Closing her eyes as he did, she wondered if she really could break up with Brett to be with Riley. She thought maybe she could, but she really wasn't sure and she didn't want to make any rash decisions unless she was. She glanced over at Nicci, who was still sitting alone. "Why don't you ask Nicci to dance? She's a great girl, and she's really smart. She might be able to help you with your classes a little bit. You could use more real friends, no matter what happens with us, and I know she's a great one," she stepped back, and gave him a little shove in Nicci's direction. He looked back over his shoulder at her, but then walked across the room to the table she had just vacated.

**A/N: **_What is Chilarie going to do? Who should she choose? This whole storyline has practically taken on a mind of it's own, and even I don't know who she's going to choose. I guess we'll have to wait and see what I happen to write. Please review, and thank you to everyone who reads this fic._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	23. Ch22: A New Development

After the wedding Chilarie threw herself into basketball. The first game was in a coming up and she wanted to be ready for it. She spent a lot of time thinking about Brett, too. She missed talking to him every day, and she often found herself spending her nights sitting on her floor, leaning against the wall, wearing a tee-shirt he had given her, and wishing she could be on the phone with him. She missed those summer nights, when they had spent all their time just talking to each other. She knew that since school had started though, things just weren't the same, and she didn't know if they were the same couple they had been this summer, a couple worth fighting for.

Of course, Riley being around so much, living in her house, sending her looks, or saying things to her all the time didn't help her sort out whether she was truly over Brett. She had to admit, she liked the attention she was getting from Riley, but she couldn't figure out whether the feelings he caused were just there because he was actually around to give attention to her, and Brett wasn't anymore, or if they were real feelings. He made her smile and laugh, and she had really enjoyed the time she had spent just hanging out with him before the wedding, but she didn't know if it was enough to build a relationship on.

On the Saturday before her first game, she was at the Rivercourt, shooting hoops, when she heard a car pull up. She turned and saw James getting out of his vehicle. She paused, putting the ball underneath her arm instead of shooting it at the hoop, as she had been about to do. She walked over and met him at the bleachers, because she could sense he wanted to talk. She was a little weary, because she knew he didn't like Brett, really, and she wasn't really sure what he was going to say. She took a drink from her water bottle as she waited for him to speak.

Taking a deep breath, James braced himself for what he was about to say. He had never thought Brett was good enough for his cousin, but he didn't necessarily like Riley either, and he knew Brett had made her happy. "Listen, Hope, I know you've been confused lately, but you've got to make a decision. All you've been doing lately is stressing, and its gotten everyone worried about you. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I still remember the day you convinced me just how much you do love him. Do you remember that?" he asked, taking a seat on the bleachers and looking over at her.

Wondering where he was going with this, she sat down next to him, recalling that they were in this exact spot. She looked at the water tower, where those words still showed just as obviously as they had on that day. She smiled slightly as she remembered what she had said. "I told you I didn't want to picture what would have happened if I had never met Brett, because he made me grow up, and experience new things, just like you had when you joined the basketball team. I fell in love with a great guy, and I had never been happier," she repeated, looking back at him with a cocked eyebrow.

Nodding, he followed where her gaze has just been, to the water tower. He was remembering that day as well. "For a while I really thought you'd be better off if you had never met Brett that day. He did change you, but I thought you didn't need that change," he paused, looking as if the next words didn't want to come out of his mouth. "I was wrong. I've seen the way you've been since the wedding, since before that even, when things between the two of you were just rocky. You haven't been happy lately, Hope, at least not in the same way you were on that day," he paused and she was about to interrupt.

Before she could though, he held up his hand. "Like I said, I'm not telling you who to date. I'm just saying, if Brett can still make you that happy, don't give him up. You knew it was going to be hard when he went away to college. Maybe there's still time for you to talk this out with him, figure out a way to get things back to the way they were. If not, then, by all means, date Riley. Just do whatever is going to make you the happiest, Hope, don't think about anyone else's feelings when you make your decision," he warned, getting to his feet.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he held up his hands before she could say anything else, but she knew there wasn't really anything she could say. "I'll see you around, Hope," he walked back to his car, leaving her with her thoughts. He had hit that last statement head on. She was thinking about everyone else, Riley's feelings, and Brett's, and even her family's. She was considering who everyone else thought she would date, who she would disappoint with each decision, but none of that should matter as much as going for what she wanted.

Part of her wanted to call Brett right then, and talk to him, even if it was just to hear his voice, but she wanted to make sure she was positive in this decision before she made her move. She decided to just go home and spend the night thinking about it. She needed a shower anyway, she noticed as she picked up her basketball and walked towards her Comet. She had been working out kind of hard, and had worked up quite a sweat. She went home and showered before dinner, then retreated to her room to listen to music and think for the rest of the evening.

Later that night, she lay tossing and turning in bed. She couldn't shut her mind down, couldn't make it stop thinking. She knew what she wanted to do, and now that she had made a decision, she wanted to act on it. She knew he might be sleeping already, but she picked up her cell phone and scrolled to his name in her contact list anyway. Her finger hovered for a moment over the green send button, but before she could stop herself, she hit it, and listened as the phone began to ring. She held her breath, waiting for that familiar voice to answer, knowing in advance the reaction she would have to that voice.

That voice was not the one that answered though, and the feelings that were incited by the voice that did answer were nowhere near what she had been expecting to feel. "Hello," a woman's voice answered, sounding slightly slurred. Chilarie felt her heart sink to her stomach, and she couldn't find her voice. "Is someone there?" the feminine voice questioned, sounding impatient now. In the background, Chilarie heard the words that ended all her doubt. A male's voice, muffled, called out, "Are you coming back to bed?" She couldn't take it anymore, and hung up before the woman could say anything else.

For a moment, Chilarie tried to reassure herself, the woman could have simply been Brett's roommate's girlfriend. She could have been answering Brett's phone for any number of reasons. Chilarie couldn't think of any plausible reasons for a woman to be answering Brett's phone in the middle of the night, none that didn't make her sick anyway. She turned her phone off in case he called back, though she doubted he would, and tossed it aside. She wanted to throw it at the wall, but she knew that wouldn't erase the voice from her mind. She was sure she would never forget that voice.

Getting out of bed, Chilarie tried to fight the tears wanting to pour down her face. She had taken too long, she decided. She had simply made him wait too long. She had kissed another guy, and then still asked him to wait for her, and she couldn't believe she hadn't realized before how stupid she had been. Of course he was going to want someone else. She hadn't thought about him moving on, because she had believed him when he said he would wait, but that wasn't his fault. He was a guy, and in college now. He had every right to move on after what she had done, but she hadn't realized it would hurt this bad.

Climbing onto the roof, she tried to figure out what she was going to do next. She knew she had to let Brett go now. She still wanted him, but if he had moved on, and slept with someone else, she would too. She couldn't be with him, because even though they hadn't been together at the time, it still felt like a betrayal to their relationship, and it was a betrayal she wasn't sure she could get over. She tried to find another way, but she knew the option that was left to her. She had to move on too, and she had to let him know fast, so he didn't leave her behind as well.

As if it was a sign, she saw him outside, playing shooting around at their basketball hoop in the front yard. She watched him for a little bit, firming herself in her decision, then she climbed down from the roof onto her terrace. She didn't even need to call out to him, because he had heard her land on the terrace. She met his eye and gestured for him to come closer. He walked over towards her and she thought about climbing down the tree, but decided against it. She took a deep breath as he stood in front of her terrace, looking up at her. "I, uh, I want to give us a try," it was harder than she thought it would be, getting those words out, and she swallowed loudly once they were out.

A cocky grin spread across his face as if he had known all along that he would choose her, and she felt a strange swooping feeling in her stomach. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. She smiled at him anyway though, and then told him she was going to bed before disappearing back into her room. She slid her sliding glass door shut behind her, and leaned against it for a moment, before pushing off and walking over to her bed. She crawled beneath the covers, and curled into a ball, and it was then that she finally let the tears slide down her cheeks. She wasn't sure how long it took for her to cry herself to sleep.

In the morning, Chilarie called Nicci, and gave her advance warning about the fact that she had chosen Riley. She didn't go too deep into explaining, just told her best friend that Riley was her choice, then said she had to get ready for school, and got off the phone. She didn't want to get into it because she knew Nicci would demand explanation as to why she had given up on Brett, and she just didn't have an explanation ready for that yet. She definitely wasn't going to tell Nicci about the phone call. She didn't want to tell anyone about that. She'd have to think of something else to say.

Both she and Riley drove their separate cars to school, because Chilarie still had to drive Lily and Nicci to school-Baley got a ride with her older boyfriend, but she just told her parents she was riding with friends-so she didn't have to deal with him immediately, but she spotted him waiting for her as she pulled into her usual spot. She glanced at her best friend, but Nicci was avoiding looking at her, and she knew the brunette was wishing that Riley was waiting for her instead of Chilarie, but part of Chilarie wished that too. She knew that she was jumping into a new relationship too fast, but she wasn't going to admit that to herself or anyone else.

Walking slower than she normally would, Chilarie led the way over to Riley, wondering how he was going to greet her. She didn't have to wonder long, because he pulled her into a kiss as soon as she reached him. She felt awkward at the public display, plus she was worried about Nicci, so she pulled out of it quickly, and took his hand instead, starting a conversation as she continued on towards the school, trying to act like nothing was wrong. She didn't like the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Yes, the kiss with Riley had been nice, it had even given her some butterflies, but it just wasn't the same way she felt when she kissed Brett.

The day passed slowly, with Riley meeting her after class, and it was taking some getting used to, but she swore to herself she was going to get used to it. She still missed Brett, but Brett had moved on, and she would to. She had to, after all she was the reason Brett had moved on at all. If she couldn't move on now, then all of the pain would have been for nothing, both his and hers, and she didn't want to think that it had all been for nothing. There had to be something between her and Riley, or she would never be able to forgive herself for losing Brett.

When school let out, Chilarie went to the tutor center, as usual, wondering how Riley would want to spend the afternoon. She was walking to her car after her tutoring session when her phone rang. She knew the ringtone and almost was afraid to answer, but she really wanted to hear his voice, even if she had to lie to him, so she pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, bringing it up to her ear. She swallowed audibly before she was able to spit out any words. "Hey," was all she managed to say, in what she hoped was a casual tone.

On the other end she could hear voices in the background. She wondered if one of them was the girl who answered the phone the other night, or if that had just been a one night stand. She wasn't sure which would be worse. She couldn't bare it he was still the kind of person who could have a one night stand, because it would mean that all the change everyone thought she had caused in him was a lie, but on the other hand, if it wasn't, that would mean she was easily replaceable, and she wasn't sure she could handle that either. "Hey, I saw that you called last night," he said just as casually, ending her thoughts of the other woman.

Closing her eyes she inhaled slowly, trying to figure out what to say. She couldn't admit to him now that she had been calling because she wanted him back, but if not then what had she been calling him for? She would have to tell him that she had gotten together with Riley, and she wasn't sure that she was ready for him to know. "Oh, um, yeah, I guess I just wanted to let you know," she paused, she couldn't say the words to him. She spotted Riley Nicci waiting at her car and knew she had to end this conversation quick. "I told Riley I was going to give him a chance," she said, trying to keep up her casual tone.

Part of her wanted him to beg her to change her mind. She wanted him to at least feel something. She had only said that because the voice that had answered her phone flitted though her mind again and she was reminded that he had already moved on. He wasn't waiting on her. He hadn't called hoping that she would tell him she wanted him back. She didn't think that was why he had called anyway. His tone was so insufficient in telling her his emotions. She wished she could see him, look into his eyes and know what he was thinking, but she couldn't, so she could only go on the evidence she already had.

For a moment their was silence and she stopped walking, wondering what he was thinking, and what he was going to say. Then he cleared his throat and when he spoke his voice held exactly the same tone as it'd held before. "Well, thanks, Hope, for letting me know. I, um, guess this is it then?" he said, and his tone was uncertain, as if he wasn't sure where to go from there. She didn't really know either, to be honest. She thought she might have heard a hint of disappointment in his voice, but she wasn't sure, so she wasn't going to ask about it.

Instead, she just mumbled some form of agreement, and then said she had to get off the phone. She closed it, and she felt like crying all over again. That was it, he wasn't going to beg her to take him back. He wasn't going to even try. It was truly over. She bit her lip, gathered herself and walked over to Nicci. She was going to drop her best friend off, then head to the Rivercourt and shoot hoops. She needed thinking time, and she hoped that Riley didn't show up. She wasn't ready to see him, not so soon after her conversation with Brett, not when she was feeling such loss over the end of that relationship.

The blonde spent the rest of the week like that. She stayed on the court after school, and then went home for dinner, and spent some time with Riley, mostly in the living room, watching a movie, or something on television, because Peyton and Lucas had made a "no hanging out in each other's bedrooms" rule as soon as they had found out about the couple. She liked the fact that her parents made them hang out in the living room, because she had a feeling that Riley wanted to go farther in their make-out sessions than she did, but there was little chance to do that in a house full of her family.

Everyone was surprised at what Chilarie had decided, but for the most part they seemed happy for her. She just wished she could be as happy for herself. She was happy with her decision, most of the time, even though she had been kind of forced into it. She did like spending time with Riley, and he was fun to be around, but at night, when she would close herself in her room, away from the rest of the world, she just missed Brett. She was getting used to being with Riley instead of him, but she missed everything, the way it used to be, and the way she knew it could be, if she hadn't messed up.

When her first game finally arrived, Chilarie knew there was nothing else she could have done to prepare for it. She'd been to every team practice, before school and after school, before her tutoring sessions, and then after her tutoring sessions she had spent her time practicing alone. She knew the game and she knew how to play with her teammates. She knew there was nothing else she could do now, but part of her still wished that the day had come differently. She was supposed to meet with Brett before the game, should have been letting him wish her luck as she went to change in the locker room.

It was Riley, though, who did these things, and she smiled at him as she turned to walk away, but the second she entered the locker room, her smile fell. She pushed away thoughts of Brett and Riley, and just focused on what she was about to do. She was going to play basketball, and help her team secure a win. She wanted them to go all the way this season, and that meant she was going to give it her all, more than her all. She was going to give it more than she had ever given when playing basketball. She wanted to be on her A game tonight, and forget all her problems.

On the court she played just as hard as she had planned on playing. She gave it every last ounce of strength she had, and then some. She could feel her heart speeding more than it should, but didn't mention it. She kept her gaze off the crowd because she didn't want to look around for Brett, even though she knew he wouldn't be there, she knew that part of her heart would break again just because he wasn't. She felt like something was off, but she didn't think anything of it until the third quarter, when it got worse. She was just going for a jump shot, when she realized something was really wrong.

Everyone saw the look on her face suddenly turn from determination to fear and pain. Her whole family stood, as the ball went through the hoop, just as she collapsed. She hit the ground, still barely conscious. She looked around for her family, and spotted Brett in the crowd. She wasn't sure if she was imagining him, or if he had actually been there the whole time, but she wanted to get up and talk to him, had to let him know that she still loved him. She knew that he could make everything alright. She could see him pushing through the crowd, and she tried to get up, but she lost consciousness before she could, falling back against the hardwood.

**A/N:** _I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but let me know what you think. I love reviews, even though I don't deserve reviews because I've been lacking on updates, I'd love to get them, hint hint._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


	24. Ch23: Another Try

Turning over in bed, Chilarie took a deep breath, leaving her eyes closed for just a few more moments as she reached out and turned off her alarm. She was interrupted, however, by her phone, which informed her that she had a text from her boyfriend. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, trying to find out where her phone had ended up during the night. She had fallen asleep texting him, and her she had to toss aside her blanket to find it. She read the text and smiled before texting him back. She still loved getting her morning text from Brett and she hoped that feeling never went away.

A little while later she was pulling into her usual parking spot at school, and she got out of the car, letting Lily climb out of the back seat before she closed the car door, as both Lily and Baley went off to hang out with their cheerleader friends. She spotted Nicci, and headed over toward her best friend, not really noticing who was standing with her. She heard her name called and stopped, looking over her shoulder and noticing James. She waited for him to catch up to her, and then they continued walking over to Nicci. "Morning, best friend, and best friends boyfriend," she greeted the couple as she noticed Riley standing with his arm around Nicci's shoulders.

When Riley had moved here, he had flirted with Chilarie, but he had eventually realized how dedicated she was to Brett, and as Chilarie tutored him and they became friends, he had spent more time with Nicci, eventually asking her out. Chilarie still wasn't too sure that he wasn't just a player, but she could tell that Nicci really liked him, and she had to admit that during the hours she spent tutoring him, she saw something in him that was worth it, which is what kept her from saying anything to Nicci that might start a fight. She still kept a close eye on him though.

After greetings had been exchanged, she looked at Riley. "You do remember we have a tutoring session today right, before my basketball game," she reminded him. She didn't have practice today, because of the game, and she knew that she would be hanging out with Brett after the game, because he would be coming to town just in time to see the game, so they had moved their tutoring session to the time when she would normally have practice. He nodded as the bell rang, and they all started to walk to the school, so they could stop by their lockers and head to class.

All day Chilarie felt an odd sense of déjà vu, but the déjà vu wasn't really the strange part. She felt like it had all happened before, but differently. She didn't spend too much time wasting thought on it though, deciding that it was just because she spent nearly every day doing pretty much the same stuff, and before she knew it, she was in the locker room, getting ready for her first basketball game. She dressed, and, after the coach's pep talk, entered the gym with the rest of the team, quickly spotting Brett, who was standing near the entrance.

Making her way over to him, instead of heading to warm up like the rest of her teammates, she momentarily ignored the shouts from her coach, flinging herself into his arms when she reached him. He held her for a moment, before giving her a kiss and setting her on her feet. "We'll talk after the game. I just wanted to wish you luck, Little Scott," he gave her one last kiss and she grinned and thanked him before turning and heading towards her teammates. She had that strange feeling again, now more insistent, and it almost felt like something bad was going to happen, or should happen.

Shaking off the feeling, she focused on the game, playing just as hard as she did in practice, and she scored 20 points by the time the buzzer rang, signaling the Lady Raven's first win of the season. She shared in the excitement with her teammates for a moment, before breaking away, and heading towards Brett and her family. Brett was already on the hardwood, so she hugged him first, and he twirled her around before setting her down as her parents reached them. She had to head to the locker rooms after that, and as she was walking, everything began to fade away, and she suddenly heard voices above her, muffled, as if she were under a pile of blankets or something.

Struggling to find her way out of the blackness that suddenly enveloped her, she tried to no avail to open her eyes, but found the words becoming clearing as she fought to gain focus. "I know you're not together anymore, and I know she's with Riley now, but I just want to say I really appreciate you spending all this time here," a voice she recognized as her father's was saying. "That being said, why do you do it? Why are you here? I mean, not even Riley has been here all night," she could hear he was speaking quietly, but she still couldn't manage to open her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened.

Unable to open her eyes, and beginning to feel a soreness in her body, Chilarie stopped fighting to make it to the surface as she strained to hear Brett's answer. "Well, I still love her, Mr. Scott. I may not have shown it to her as much as I should have lately. I realize that I got too immersed in the college life, and I haven't made enough time to show her how I really feel. I know my mistakes and I know she had every right to give up on me, but that doesn't mean I'm not still in love with her, that doesn't mean I'm not worried sick that she," he broke off, and she could tell he was unable to say anything more.

Her memories were coming back to her, but it seemed as they did, so did her fatigue, and she felt herself giving into the darkness once more. She gave up the fight to wake up, feeling that Brett would still be there whenever she did. "I know. I know," she heard her father say, but his voice was growing fainter again. "The thing is, it's getting to late to have anyone other than immediate family members in her room, according to hospital policy. Go home and get some rest, and you can come back in the morning. I'll give you a call if she wakes up tonight," he added when Brett protested, and that was the last thing she heard before she drifted back into unconsciousness.

When she was actually able to open her eyes, a few hours later, the room was dark, and she could tell it was still the middle of the night, probably not long before sunrise. She remembered Brett's words, but she wasn't sure if they were real. She might have just imagined his conversation with her father, especially given the dream she had been having, the dream she now knew wasn't real, although it was the way she wished things had turned out. She knew that despite any of that, anything that had happened, or might have happened, she needed to see Brett, now. She had to talk to him before it was too late, if it wasn't already.

It was what she had felt in the moments before she collapsed that made her so sure of this. She had realized in that moment that she had made a mistake, that her heart still belonged with Brett and she was willing to do anything to make this work, because she needed him. She only hoped he still needed her, and she couldn't rest until she knew for sure. She knew her parents would get upset with her for this, but she wasn't sure when he was leaving, or when she would get the chance to speak to him again, so she knew that she was going to have to sneak out of the hospital now.

Glancing around, she noticed that her dad was sleeping in the chair next to her bed. She also noticed that she was attached to some machines and realized she wouldn't have long before someone noticed that she wasn't in bed. She thought for a moment before coming up with a plan. She took a few moments to ready herself, and then reached into the dresser next to her bed, glad that she found her basketball uniform there, and she pulled it out and slipped it on before she put her plan into motion.

Laying awake in bed, Brett couldn't stop thinking about Chilarie. He wished he was still at the hospital, because laying in bed, not sleeping, wasn't helping anything. He knew that there was nothing he could do at the hospital either, though, which was why he'd conceded to go home. He's been so scared when she had collapsed, that the fact that she'd given up on him didn't matter to him anymore. He knew that he'd been living as if in a haze since she'd dumped him, and he had come to watch her game because he wanted a chance to talk. He needed to make sure she was actually happy with her decision, and not as miserable as he was.

If she was happy, then maybe he would someday be able to move on. He could live with his misery, if she was happy, but if she wasn't, maybe they could have a second chance. He wouldn't make the same mistakes a second time. He would appreciate what he had, and show her all the time how much he loved her. He just wanted her to wake up now, so they could have a chance to talk, even if that meant her telling him she was happy with Riley. He would listen to anything she said, and accept it, as long as she woke up. He couldn't even fathom the thought that she wouldn't.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Brett heard the door to his bedroom swing open, and he looked over to see Chilarie there. He thought he was imagining her for a moment, because she was still in her basketball uniform, but she smiled weakly, and somehow he knew she was really there. He hadn't fallen asleep, and he wasn't dreaming. Chilarie was standing in his room, alive. He felt extremely relieved for a moment, and he could do nothing more than stare at her, standing in his room, looking weak, but for the most part okay. He didn't snap out of it until she opened her mouth and spoke.

While he stared at her, Chilarie stared back at him, wondering what he could possibly be thinking. She couldn't tell if he wanted her there or not, but she decided to be the one to break the silence. "I had to see you," her voice was hoarse, and she had to stop and clear her throat, but before she could go on, she felt a wave of dizziness and she grasped the door to keep from falling over as he jumped up and raced to her side. He led her over to sit on his bed, but he still couldn't find any words. "I'm alright," she assured him once the dizziness passed, looking up into his eyes.

Reaching out, he touched her cheek, brushing some hair out of her face, as if trying to reassure himself that she was really there. She could tell what he was doing, and she chuckled softly, biting her lip and reaching up to grab his hand. "Look, I'm going to have to call my parents soon, because they don't know I'm here, and I don't want to worry them for to long, but I had to talk to you," she paused, taking a deep breath before diving into what she needed to say. "When I collapsed on the court, the last thought I had was of you, and I knew I needed to get to you, to talk to you, and everything would be okay," she swallowed.

Wondering what exactly that meant, whether it was good or bad, he waited for her to continue. She couldn't read his expression, but she went on anyway. "I made a mistake, choosing Riley. I think part of me knew it then, and I definitely know it now. My heart belongs to you, and it always will. I know you were with that girl, the night before we talked on the phone, and I don't know how many other girls there have been, but I don't care about that anymore. I just want to be with you. Please, tell me you want that too," she pleaded, her blue-green eyes staring earnestly into his.

For a moment, she could tell he was confused, as he tried to remember what had happened on the night she was talking about, to figure out what had actually happened. He sighed in relief as he realized what night she was talking about. "There were no other girls, Chilarie," he said, and she felt herself sigh in relief, but waited for him to go on. "I forgot my phone at home that night, but I was in the library studying. I had to leave the dorm room because my roommate had some chick over and wanted the room to himself. I have never, nor ever would, wanted any other girl, not since I met you," he assured her.

Grinning in relief, she then cursed herself at jumping to conclusions, wishing she had just talked to him about it instead of putting them both through that misery. She met his gaze again, this time worry in her eyes. "Does this mean you'll give me another chance?" she asked, because she had to be sure. He didn't respond with words, just kissed her, softly at first, then slightly more passionately as she threw her arms around his neck. She broke away and leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent, which happened to be her favorite scent in the world.

After a couple minutes spent just being with him, Chilarie gave her parents a call. They were relieved that she was alright, but angry at her for taking off, and after a bit of scolding they said that she wasn't to move, and they were on the way to pick her up. She hung up his phone and looked over at him sheepishly, handing it back and watching as he tossed it on his bed. She did have one more question for him, and she was almost afraid to ask it, but she did anyway. "Were you really at the hospital most of the night?" she watched his face, and at first he looked shocked, but he wasn't ashamed of it.

Nodding, he seemed to know what she was looking for in an answer. "I showed up tonight because I knew how important this game was to you. Maybe I'm a masochist or something, but I also had to see if you were happy with Riley. I've missed you so much, and I realize I took you for granted. I promise, I'll come down here more, and I won't make promises I can't keep. I love you, Chilarie Hope Scott, more than anything else in the world, and I was so scared when you collapsed. I can't possibly fathom a life without you," he broke off, and she took his hand, squeezing it gently.

Taking her in his arms, he just held her until her parents arrived. She couldn't think of anything else that needed to be said just then, and neither could he. They both simply needed to be in each other's presence, and words just weren't necessary. She knew her parents were probably going to ground her for a while, so she wasn't sure when she would be able to see him again. She was a little worried about why she had actually collapsed, but that wasn't really something she could do anything about right now. She only hoped it wouldn't end her basketball career before it even began.

When Lucas and Peyton got there, Lucas half carried her to the car, while Peyton followed after, starting up a steady stream of scolding that she continued throughout the whole car ride. She listed all the risks Chilarie had taken, why it was a bad decision, how stupid she was, and then began listing all the possibilities of punishments she should receive. Chilarie stayed quiet, knowing that nothing she said would stop Peyton's tirade, and she was getting tired already. She was glad when her dad pulled in front of their house, but almost wished they had gone back to the hospital so she could avoid Riley.

As the three of them walked into the house, Lucas once again supporting his daughter as she walked, Peyton abruptly cut herself off, pausing to look at her daughter. "Are you getting back together with Brett?" she inquired, and Chilarie nodded, causing Peyton to smile slightly. "Well, you have to have that conversation with Riley before you go to bed. He doesn't deserve you leading him on," she said as they reached the front door. She had a satisfied look on her face, and all three blondes knew that was part of Chilarie's punishment, definitely the part Chilarie dreaded the most.

Once inside, Chilarie saw that her immediate family weren't the only ones who were waiting for her. Jason, Aiden and Vanessa had come over, and Nicci and James were also sitting in the living room. She was looking for one face in particular, though, and as she scanned the room, she found Riley. Her mom told everyone not to crowd her, but soon enough she had been hugged by everyone. Jason, Aiden and Vanessa went back to their own homes after checking that she was okay, and all three said they would be back tomorrow, and Peyton said everyone else was to go to bed.

While her siblings were headed for their rooms, James headed for a guest bedroom, Chilarie just stayed where she was. She knew that Riley was hanging back too, and he seemed to sense what was coming. Nicci was waiting for her, but Chilarie sent her a look, and Nicci headed to Chilarie's room instead, leaving the couple alone in the living room. She took a seat on the couch, and he sat next to her. "You were at Brett's, weren't you?" he prompted when she took a moment to try to figure out what to say. She was surprised that he knew, but he just shrugged. "I overheard your mom say that when she left," he explained.

Taking a deep breath, she knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she knew he would get over it. He was the kind of guy who wouldn't let one break-up affect him for long, she was sure. She also thought that maybe if she could work it out right, she could set Nicci and Riley up somehow, like they had been together in her dream. "Well, there's no easy way to say this, but collapsing earlier made me realize a whole lot of things," she paused, and then just spit it out. "I'm still in love with Brett. You're a great friend, Riley, and an amazing person, when you want to be, but my heart belongs to someone else," she finished.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Riley was trying to process the fact that he just got dumped, and Chilarie was giving him time to process it. He wasn't really all that surprised, to be honest. He had been able to tell that she wasn't completely happy, and as soon as he saw Brett at the basketball game, he had kind of figured where things would be going. "It's okay, Hope," he said when he realized she was waiting for him to react. "You can't help who you're in love with," he paused for a moment before adding, "How would you feel if I asked Nicci out?" in a teasing tone.

That made her laugh, because that had been exactly where her thoughts were headed, but she quieted quickly, because she could sense the undercurrent of seriousness in his tone. "Give it time, player, she is my best friend, after all," she teased back, nudging him with her shoulder. "Honestly, though, I think if you give it time, she would love that, and I don't mind at all," she added seriously. She sat with him for another couple minutes, and then, after yawning hugely, decided that it was time for bed, and she said goodnight before they each headed to their own rooms.

**A/N: **_Let me know what you think. I liked writing this chapter, and I'm glad Chilarie and Brett are back together. This fic should be finished before it hits 30 chapters, but there are a few more twists and turns I doubt you'll expect, and possibly another part eventually._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything._


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